The Horrifying HalfBlood Games
by It's An Elaborate Ruse
Summary: The Olympians have decided to hold a survival challenge to give demigods from all different mythology the chance to show what they know. Only catch? One can survive. Who will it be? Let's hope the odds are ever in their favor! Rated T because of violence.
1. The Reapings

**A/N: Hello! I'm a very busy author, aren't I? There are no Katniss and Peeta, I'm very sorry! This is going to be just like Hunger Games with some characters from the series...but Percy Jackson style. **

**Chapter One: The Reaping**

**Nico POV:**

The Hades cabin is the same as it has always been. Dark, gloomy, and quiet. I am breathing hard from a nightmare. It wasn't a demigod dream because it was about Bianca dying, which had already happened a couple years ago. I call out her name only to remember she was dead, and she would always be.

I glance at the clock. It's 7:30, the time we're supposed to be at breakfast. Perfect timing. I stumble out of bed and pull on a Camp Half-Blood tee. I have started to stay at camp more often because nobody treated me as a freak. They accepted me. I open my cabin door and sunlight beams down on me. I sigh as I head down to breakfast.

Ever since the war, people have been able to sit wherever they want. I usually sit by Percy, who is always sitting by Annabeth. I sit down at the long marble table. Percy looks at me sadly, then drinks his blue soda.

_I wonder what's wrong with him_, I think to myself. Annabeth looks at me the same way. I quietly eat my breakfast as Chiron coughs to get everyone's attention.

"The gods have talked with gods from other mythology," He says. "And they have decided to hold something called the Half-Blood Games."

People at each table mutter to each other. Percy can tell I'm confused because he closes his eyes and nods.

_This must be why he's acting depressed. _I turn my attention back to Chiron, who paused, waiting for everyone to stop talking.

"It is simply a survival test. Only one from all of mythology will survive." He continues.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asks. "Only one from all mythology?"

"Two people from each camp will be picked. There are six different camps, each one resembling a different kind of mythology. We are Greek. One is Roman, one is Egyptian, one is Norse, and so one. Only one person from all of those will survive." He explains.

"Why are the gods doing this?" Clarisse asks.

"To test your skills. To see how much you've learned."

"That's EVIL!" Katie screams. "Why don't they come down to each camp and _see _how much we've learned?"

Chiron looks at us sadly. "I don't know. I have tried reasoning with them, but they are committed to the Half-Blood Games. I am required to do the Reaping."

Every camper looks at him in confusion, including me.

"The Reaping selects which two people must go. A male and a female. No volunteering for others. The Reaping will be later today. But in the meantime, enjoy your breakfast."

With that, Chiron takes his seat.

There is silence for a few minutes. Then, people start talking about the Half-Blood Games.

Annabeth and Percy stare at me.

"Who do you think will get picked?" Percy asks us.

"Nobody can really know. I just hope it's not any of us." Annabeth says.

The day hasn't been as fun. Laughter was barely heard throughout the day. People didn't exactly look _happy_ about the Reaping. I am near the volleyball net, kicking sand while I walk in circles. I hear footsteps.

"Nico, come on, the Reaping is starting." Grover gestures to the Pavilion.

I follow him towards the crowd of campers. I see a couple of cameras. One turns right towards me. I put my hand to my face and keep walking. I hate cameras. I get to the front of the crowd and see two glass balls. They both have strips of paper in them, which probably have each and every campers' name. One glass ball says 'Boys' and one says 'Girls'. All twelve Olympians are standing in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder. A woman with a wide grin, pinkish hair, and a green outfit is by the glass balls.

I have heard about her earlier today, her name is Effie Trinket. She is going to assist the two campers from Camp Half-Blood. She is the demigod daughter of Aphrodite, a very...unique daughter of Aphrodite.

Effie claps her hands and it immediately goes silent.

"Welcome to the very first Half-Blood Games! May the odds be _ever _in your favor!" She announces as she strolled to the glass ball for the girls. "Ladies first!"

Effie reaches her hand in and pulls out a slip. I hope it's not Annabeth, anyone but Annabeth...

Annabeth has been there for me, always. Once, I had a nightmare like the one I had this morning and she calmed me down. We had always been good friends since then. She sometimes takes me to the mall with her, since I haven't really learned about all the new technology. She bought me an Ipod there and taught me how to use it. She is like Bianca to me, but not as selfish, not as strict. Annabeth didn't go to the Hunters just so she didn't have to fix all of Percy's mistakes, did she? I wish Bianca was like Annabeth. She never turns her back on her friends, no matter what...

"Katie Gardner," Effie proclaims.

Not a sound was made. If someone were to drop a pen it would make everyone jump. Katie nearly fainted. Her friends hugged her one last time as she stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. I feel bad for her, losing everything she has because of the gods. Katie shakes each Olympians' hand and walks towards Chiron, who leads her towards the Big House.

"Now, it's time to choose our boy tribute!" Effie says, excited.

My palms are sweating. _My name is in there._ I take shaky short breaths. Time seems to slow down. I feel nauseous. _Keep it together. _

Effie mixes up the names and finally pulls one out. What if it's Percy? He would lose everything, like Katie did. I really hope the odds are in my favor, but when are they ever?

"Nico Di Angelo,"

Faces turn towards me. I can't believe it. My name. My. Name. I struggle to breathe. I feel like I'm in a trance as I walk forward to the Olympians. A scream brings me back to reality.

"No! You can't take him! Please! HE'S ONLY A KID!" Percy tries to run forward, but Annabeth and Grover hold him back. Tears are streaming down his face. He struggles to break free from Annabeth's grasp, but can't.

I shake the hands of each Olympian and Chiron leads me to the Big House.

The odds are most certainly not in my favor.


	2. The Train Ride

As I walk into the Big House I see Percy crying and begging for them not to take me. I've been like a little brother to him lately. I must mean a lot to him, considering he's an only child.

Chiron leaves Katie and Me alone in the Big House. I see velvet couches and chairs. When I sit down, I can't help running my fingers over the fabric repeatedly because it's so soft. Katie sits and stares at the floor. I know she must feel terrified, and I am too. Knowing that only one of us will survive scares me. Neither of us may survive. It could be a demigod from Roman mythology, or Norse. Before I can think of all the ways I can die in a survival challenge, the door opens. Percy and Malcolm walk in and sit down.

Malcolm, a son of Athena, starts talking with Katie about what she must do to survive. Percy still has puffy, red eyes from crying. We say nothing for a few minutes. Finally, he speaks up.

"Why you?" He holds back tears. "Of all the campers. It was you! Why couldn't it have been me?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll win for you. I promise."

Percy is silent as his eyes find the floor. In his heart, he knows I can't win. The competition will be full of kids stronger than me, and bigger than me. There are probably girls who know twenty different ways to kill you with a rock.

"Hey, I'll get tons of drachmas when I win." I assure him. "I'll share them with you."

"I don't care about the money. I want you to come back safe. You're like a little brother to me." He wipes a tear from his cheek.

"You're like my brother, too. Don't be completely skeptical, if I could survive on my own when I was ten, I can definitely do this."

Percy sighs. "If you do come back alive-"

"Don't you mean _when_?" I correct him.

He smiles sadly. "_When _you come back alive from the Games, I want you to live with my mom and me during the school year. We have an extra room."

He knows I'm always happier when I visit his mom's apartment, I often stay the night. Whether it's because I'm sick or it's because I just feel like hanging out with Percy, Ms. Jackson welcomes me with open arms every time. One time, she made me blue sugar-coated pancakes for breakfast when I had the flu. Another time, she took us to the movies. Mr. Blofis and Percy's mom are like my parents.

I don't even think before I say, "Okay. I want the room painted black though."

Percy hugs me and Chiron steps inside. The centaur nods slowly, telling me it's time for Percy to go. Percy and Malcolm rise from their chairs and walk outside.

The next people to come in are Miranda and Annabeth. Katie comforts Miranda, saying that she would come back from the games alive, and will see Miranda again. Annabeth sits next to me on the velvet couch.

"You okay?" She asks.

I barely nod.

"I-I know you're scared. I'm scared for you. But I know that you can do it. You can survive. You're brave and clever. Remember, we'll be watching." Her stormy, gray eyes are clouded with sadness.

"W-what do you mean by 'we'll be watching'?"

Annabeth takes a deep breath. "The gods are requiring us to watch the Half-Blood Games. There are going to be cameras everywhere."

"Oh," I say. "Are we allowed to bring our weapons?"

"Yep. They also told us that you can't use shadow-travel. The arena is going to have some kind of barrier."

I try to smile. "Thanks for letting me know."

Chiron comes and leads Annabeth out of the Big House. The next people to walk in surprise me the most. Two cloudy figures floated gracefully into the room. One is wearing a long, black dress and has flowing black hair. The other looks just like her, but has on a green cap and a silver parka.

"Mom. Bianca." I stand up and run to hug them, only to realize that I can't.

Mom smiles at me and attempts to ruffle my hair. "You're so big, Nico."

"I thought Bianca said I wasn't allowed to see you," I point out.

"True, but this is a one-time thing. Listen, you need to know that we will always be with you. You can win this, Nico." Bianca sounds like she is trying to convince herself.

"Bianca, if I die, ask Father if we all can live in the palace with him."

Mom gives me a look of sorrow. "We can't live with him. Persephone will not allow it. We all will live in the Elysium. I have a feeling you won't die, Nicolas."

I grin at my full name. Nobody uses it because I refuse to go by it, but my mom is an exception.

"Have an ally or two. If it comes down to you and your allies being the only survivors, persuade them to sacrifice themselves." Bianca proposes.

"But that's just mean." I say.

"I don't care," She replies. "I just want my little brother to live. Promise me. Promise me that you'll try. Try your best."

"I will." I tell her.

Chiron comes too soon. I beg him to let them stay longer, but it doesn't work.

He ushers Mom and Bianca out, but stays in the Big House. He then turns to Katie and me.

"Come," He trots out of the Big House and into the forest. I try to stay next to him because I trust his front side more than I trust his back. We walk through the woods, and I try to step on every crunchy-looking leaf and stick I can find. Chiron holds his hand out in front of me and I look up from the ground. Right in front of us is a giant train station. In the middle of the woods. With cameramen snapping pictures of us every second.

"Um...why is there a train station in the middle of the forest?" Katie asks.

Chiron doesn't look surprised. "The gods. They have already planned everything. This train will take you to Olympus."

"Is the arena in Olympus?" I wonder.

"Yes. All demigods and gods will be watching it on TV, though."

The cameramen swarm us and I wipe my face clean of emotions. Chiron tries to push them away, but they don't seemed frightened by a guy with a horse's backside.

"What's the arena going to look like?" Katie pushes through the crowd.

"They won't tell me." Chiron answers.

We have to stand in the doorway of the train for a minute or two. Chiron tells us it's for the cameras. I give up trying to hide my face because I know it won't do any good. They'll probably find a picture of me from somewhere. Once we're allowed to go inside, I fall back on a couch. The train starts moving immediately.

Chiron volunteers to show us around. At first I refuse, because all I want to do is sit on the couch and stare at the ceiling, but Chiron insists.

"We should be on here for at least a day," Chiron says as stop right before a room. The door has the word 'Katie' on it. "Ms. Gardner, this is your room. It consists of a bedroom, dressing room, and a private bathroom. Enjoy."

Katie thanks him and enters her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

When we walk into the dining car, there is a long, wooden table with lacy napkins on it. A servant asks us if we want anything to eat or drink and I order some water to calm my nerves. I'm still freaked out about what is going to happen. There is going to be so much blood...so much death.

I guess that's my advantage, then. Being the son of Hades and all. I could bring some tributes back as a ghost and we could rebel against the remaining demigods. But then I remember they might form an alliance with others. And there may be another child of a god that controls death.

I sit and watch the scenery fly by us. Mrs. O'Leary loved the woods. I miss her so much. Even though she was Percy's pet, I watched her most of the time because he went to school during the year, while I stayed at Camp Half-Blood. I started to think there was something between Cerberus and her, and I still do. Now, I may not ever be able to find out.

When I step into my room, the walls are painted black, which already makes me happy. The bed has dark red covers, and black pillows. I walk over to my dresser and open a drawer. It is filled with the finest clothes I will ever see in my entire life. Effie Trinket told me that I can do anything I want, wear anything I want, as long as I am ready for supper in an hour.

I sigh and fall onto my bed. As I lay on my back, I glide my hand through my hair. I close my eyes and drift into slumber.

I'm in a camp. Not Camp Half-Blood. There are tons of people. The sun is shining down on a girl with black and gray eyes. She must be like Effie, helping the tributes from that kind of mythology.

"Hello, Norse demigods. I am Luna Peril. All other gods have decided to hold a survival game for demigods. Are we ready to draw the names?"

Complete silence.

"Boys first." Luna continues as she pulled a name out of a glass ball. "James Casper,"

A boy who looks about fourteen strides forward with pride. He has his black hair in a mo-hawk style and threatening brown eyes. He is very short.

"Who is your godly parent?" Luna asks him.

"Loki, the trickster god."

The crowd cheers and James smirks.

"You are now in the games! How do you feel?" Luna says excitedly.

"Like I can rip someone's head off,"

That makes me feel _so _much better about my competition. A short kid who can probably lead you into a trap, then rip your head off. Fun. I made a mental note to not have him as my ally because he would probably betray me.

Luna moves over to the girls' ball, and pulls out a thin piece of paper. "Marceline Fowler."

Marceline is nervous. I can tell that just by looking at her face. She twists her strawberry blonde hair around her finger.

"Ms. Fowler, how do you feel about being in the games?" Luna asks.

Marceline doesn't answer.

Luna raises her eyebrows and repeats the question. She repeats it over and over until Marceline answers.

"I THINK IT'S STUPID! MAKING YOUR OWN CHILDREN DIE!" Marceline snaps and stomps away.

My dream fades as Effie shakes me awake. I groan and try to go back asleep without her knowing, but when she finds me not moving on the bed, she pours water on my head. I curse under my breath as I stumble into the dining room. Katie and Chiron are already sitting at the table. Chiron is in his wheelchair form. There is also another man, and he seems very drunk.

"Who is he?" I question.

"That's Haymitch. Your mentor. He's a son of Dionysus." Effie answers.

The supper comes in courses. First, we have chicken noodle soup and a variety of fruit. Then a servant brings fresh bread, and salad. Effie keeps reminding us to save room for more, but I don't listen to her. By the time our main course comes, I am full.

We watch the recaps of the Reapings in another compartment of the train. Only a few people stuck in my mind. James and Marceline from Norse mythology. A Japanese girl named Katsumi Kelly. An Egyptian named Gavin Clear. A kid named Antonio. They all looked around my age, which seemed kind of disturbing. Did they make us all the same age on purpose? But then again, James was about fourteen years old. Some were around Percy's age, too. At last, they show Greek Reapings. My name being called, and Percy screaming. I really failed at trying to look calm. I see Percy being held back, with tears streaming down his face. The program ends.

"Well, that was pleasant." Haymitch says, drunk.

Katie turned to Effie. "_He's _supposed to help us win? How can he help if he's drunk all the time?"

"Yeah." I agree. "No more drinking for him." In a swift motion, I swipe Haymitch's glass out of his hands.

"I'll make you a deal," Haymitch slurs. "If you don't interfere with my drinking, I'll stay sober enough to mentor you."

Katie and I glance at each other. "Deal."

"Good. When we start training I'll help you with your strategies. But for now, go to bed."

I'm not able to sleep. I feel uneasy as I lay on the bed awake, thinking about the tributes' reactions. One boy said his dad was the god of death, like mine. He looked way older than me. His name was Antonio, and he bragged about how he was going to beat everyone to a pulp. Maybe we could be allies or something. Two demigods that control death would be hard to beat. Tomorrow we would be arriving at Olympus and start our training. I finally manage to close my eyes and fall asleep.

**A/N: Sorry but there won't be any updates on my stories this week. Maybe before Friday if I don't have much homework, but I'm going out of town on the weekend. I'll update when I can, PEACE!**


	3. The Train Ride Continued

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated. I missed you all! I'll try to update a lot in January so I can get at least three more chapters up on this. Nico is twelve years old in this, just letting you know. Thanks for reading and make sure to review!**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

**Nico POV:**

Bright light shines through the curtains as Effie rouses me. "Up, up, up! It's going to be a wonderful day!" Yeah, todays going to be a wonderful day, alright. Getting trained on how to kill people. Great.

I pull on a black tee and some ripped jeans. I study myself in the mirror and I see that I look like a Goth. I almost laugh at how much I'm not going to cooperate today.

They took me away from my friends, practically my family. Do they deserve my cooperation? Ha-ha, nope.

Then, something hits me.

_They _are the Olympians. The head of the Olympians is Zeus. He set this up. He wanted me to suffer. He had taken away my _real _family once, now he is doing it again. Why can't this happen to Percy? Why me?

_Because Zeus hates Dad, _I tell myself. _He's mad that Hades didn't turn me in to Camp Half-Blood before. He wants to make my life a living hell._

I sigh and enter the dining car. Haymitch and Katie are sitting at the table, talking about her strategy for the Games. Effie walks by me and I hear her muttering under her breath. I slide into my chair and waiters immediately rush out to set out large platters on the table. Eggs, bacon, pancakes. I smile as I see sugar-coated pancakes. I take a few and pour tons of syrup on it. Katie just stares at me, and then goes back to eating. Percy's mom would kill me if she found out I was eating all this junk food. She's all about healthy eating.

My eyes widen as I find a cup of hot chocolate. I grab a cup and drain it quickly, then ask for a refill.

"Don't drink too much or you'll be spending more time in the bathroom rather than preparing for Opening Ceremonies." Haymitch tells me.

I almost spit out the hot chocolate I'm drinking. I manage to swallow it and say, "Opening Ceremonies? I thought we were going straight into battle."

"They want to see the contestants and hold interviews. _Then _you'll fight to the death." He answers.

_Yay, _I think. _If they interview me about my family I will kill them._

When we all are finished, I lean back in my chair. "So, you're supposed to give us advice. Got any?"

"Stay alive."

"Really? That's all?" I say in a bored tone.

He nods, and then bursts into a fit of laughter. Katie's face turns red and she lashes out at him, knocking out of his chair. She points her celestial bronze dagger at him and he stops laughing. A smile forms on his face.

"Effie, I think I've got some fighters." He calls out, and then looks towards Katie, who is still pointing her dagger at his neck. "Good thing you aren't a scaredy-cat. You would never last in that arena."

Katie and Haymitch get up. Before Katie can sit back down, he tells her and me to stand in the middle of the room.

He examines our faces and checks our muscles. I feel like an experiment, being poked and prodded. He finally stops and tells us that we're not entirely hopeless.

"Remember your promise." Katie reminds him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. If I stay sober enough to help you, though, you have to do everything I tell you to." Haymitch says.

"But it _will _help us win the Games? You're not going to tell us to jump off a cliff or—"

"Only if it will help you survive."

I swallow hard. He was just kidding…right? Hopefully there are no cliffs in the arena, or I would freak out a little.

"Soon you will be in the hands of your stylists." Haymitch changes the subject. "They will…what's the word?"

"Beautify?" Effie suggests as she walks back in the room.

Haymitch doesn't seem to like the answer, but he continues. "Sure. They will _beautify _you. Trim your fingernails and rinse the grime off of your skin."

Katie stands up. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'GRIME'? I AM NOT FILTHY!"

Before he could respond, the train lurches –making me lurch too—and stopped suddenly.

"We're here!" Effie says in a sing-song voice. "Let's go to Olympus!"

"How did the train go to Olympus if trains transport you on the ground and Olympus is in the sky?" I ask.

"I don't know. Probably _magic_." Haymitch waves his hands when he says 'magic'. "They are all powerful gods, aren't they?"

We step onto Olympus and shut the doors to the train. All of my worries leave me for a moment only to come flooding back to me again—I realize I'm here for a spa treatment.

**A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, I completely forgot about this story. My mind has been everywhere this Christmas break. Thankfully I will be updating this more since 'The GenderBender Prank' is has come an end. I guess that's all so...PEACE!**


	4. Opening Ceremonies

**A/N: Hi! Next chapter! I changed Marceline's hair color to black. Just imagine her like Marceline off of Adventure time, except younger and with shorter hair. **

**Universal disclaimer: I own neither Hunger Games nor Percy Jackson.**

"1, 2, 3!" Vick yanks a strip of fabric from my chin.

"Ow! What was that for?" I yell.

"To make sure you don't have a beard in the arena," he says.

"Dude, I'm fourteen! I can't grow a beard!"

"Just making sure," he mutters.

I've been in Aphrodite's Makeover Center for over three hours. Katie and I were taken into separate rooms, and then…_beautified._ For some Aphrodite daughters, it would be a dream come true to give me a makeover. For me, it's my worst nightmare. They've already taken the dirt off my skin as Haymitch had warned us about, and for some reason my skin feels tingly. Exfoliated, I suppose. But nonetheless, a nightmare.

"You're doing very well, Nico," Flavius says.

Not only do I have one stylist for my 'makeover', but three. Plus, there's supposed to be a wardrobe stylist here somewhere, his name's Cinna. I haven't seen him around though.

They look just like Effie in a way. I asked them earlier if they were Aphrodite's children, and they said yes. No wonder. They all had…unique colored hair and tattoos everywhere. Though there was nothing wrong with expression through styles, it seemed out of place to see it, coming from my origin of a practical battle camp.

"I'm glad you're not a whiner." Octavia tells me as she rubs some lotion on my arm. It stings for a moment, but I bear with the pain.

Flavius, Vick, and Octavia circle around me, making sure I look absolutely perfect for the Opening Ceremonies. Did I mention I was naked? It's an uncomfortable feeling.

"Excellent! You're going to look so handsome by the time Cinna's done with your wardrobe!" Vick says.

"He doesn't look as bad as he did when he first came in, does he?" Octavia asks. "You're going to win over all kinds of female sponsors!"

I force a smile on my lips. "Thanks."

"No problem. Let's go get Cinna." Flavius leaves the room; Vick and Octavia follow right behind him. Octavia suddenly peeks her head from around the corner.

"Don't put your robe back on, Cinna will need to inspect you." She advises, and then pops her head back around the corner and leaves.

Inspect me? What am I to them? Percy and Annabeth would freak out if they knew that strangers were studying my naked body. I pull on my black robe anyway, just waiting to see Cinna's reaction. I know he will probably make me take it off as soon as he walks in, but I don't care at the moment.

I spin around in the chair and look in the wall mirror. My hair is neatly trimmed and doesn't look like I just got out of bed. My skin is still pale, olive undertones still lurking beneath. I'm glad they didn't do anything to fix that. I wonder what Katie had to go through? Octavia had told me before that they had removed almost all of her hair, except the hair on her head. The door creaks open and I spin my chair around to see Cinna.

He actually looks normal. No dyed hair or glittery tattoos. His hair is a natural brown and the only trace of makeup on him is light gold eyeliner. I was imagining my stylist to look like Lady Gaga's brother, but Cinna was the exact opposite.

"Hi, I'm Cinna. I'm going to need you to take off your robe for a moment, all right?"

I cautiously take off the black robe and he inspects me. He studies my body like I'm a sculpture in a museum. Not much as admiring it, more like interpreting. He doesn't touch me, but takes in every inch of my body with his eyes.

"How come you're not like the others?" I ask. I realize what I say and try to rearrange my word to be more polite. "I mean, you don't look or talk like them."

"I'm not a son of Aphrodite. I'm a son of Cupid. For some reason, they thought Lady Gaga had beautiful costumes, so they tried to dress like her. I don't like being like everyone else."

"Oh,"

"You can put your robe back on, let's sit down and talk for a minute." Cinna says.

I pull on my robe quickly, thanking the gods I don't have to be naked anymore. I follow him through a door and into a sitting room. There are two red couches facing each other, and a coffee table in the middle of them both. It reminds me of the Big House for a moment. I sit at one couch and Cinna sits on the other.

"This all most seem horrible to you. Taking you away from your family. I'm sorry, I really am. It will all be over soon." He tries to comfort me. When he sees the sadness on my face, he changes the subject. "So, about your costume for the Opening Ceremonies. My partner, Portia, is the stylist for Katie. The gods want us to make a costume that represents your camp. Do you have any ideas?"

"Um…we fought in the second Titan war, so we could have battle armor or something." I suggested.

He laughs and I smile, imagining what Katie would look like in an armored dress.

"What makes you different from the other camps?" he asks.

I think for a moment. What did we have a camp that no other camp had? "Burning food for the gods?"

Cinna grins. "No, but think of what is used for the burning..."

Then it hits me. "Greek fire!"

"Yes! You're not afraid of fire, are you Nico?"

"Well, since I come practically from the literal depths of Hell, I'd say no."

* * *

><p>Hours later I am dressed in what will be the most dangerous costume in the whole ceremony. It is a simple black tuxedo with a black cape. Smooth and silky. I looked as if I were planning on attending homecoming. Cinna tells me he plans to light it on fire (with Greek fire, of course) before our chariot rolls down the streets.<p>

"It's perfectly safe, I promise." he says. I believe him, but I'm still skeptical that something will go wrong and I'll be barbecued by the time we reach Olympus's center.

"People will remember who you are. Nico, the boy on fire!" he exclaims. "And Katie, the girl on fire!"

I'm relieved when Katie shows up, in a black dress. She's wearing a cape, like on my outfit. She walks over and looks at me nervously.

"Did you hear that they're setting us on fire? I just hope I don't burn to a crisp." She says worriedly.

"Cinna says it's perfectly safe. Relax, we'll be fine." I assure her.

"But when's the last time that people on Olympus have cared for _our _safety?"

She does have a point. They don't care about us. They only care about entertainment and their homes. Some gods don't even care about their own children, like my dad used to seem like. Still, my stomach lurched to even think of the concept.

"Cinna cares. Plus, I don't think they'd want their entertainment dead before they even fight." I say.

"I don't know. Where's Haymitch? Isn't he supposed to protect us from stuff like this?" she asks.

We're whisked to a stable near the entrance to Olympus. Pairs of tributes are being loaded into chariots pulled by four horses each. The horses are so well-trained here that nobody needs to guide them. People bustled around us like we were on the streets of New York. No time for apologizing if bumped into, no giving others the time of day. I stood awkwardly, being a stand-still in a whirlwind of motion. Then I heard our stylists call our name and we turn.

Cinna and Portia put us into a chariot, brushing down any hair that lingered on our formal wear and consoling us with words of comfort. Then they wander off to consult with each other, leaving Katie and I alone again. The silence looms before us like a weight, though everyone around us still rushed around.

The opening music begins. I know there are probably tons of citizens lining up and down the streets for this. The music is very easy to hear because it's so loud. Massive doors slide open and prove my expectations right. There are tons of people, minor goddesses and gods, even nymphs, all down the streets made of gold.

"The rides going to last about twenty minutes," Katie tells me. "Then they'll welcome us and all that crap. Play the anthem of Olympus, blah, blah, blah. When it's over, they'll escort us to our prison till Games start."

Norse mythology's chariot rides into the streets. I immediately recognize Marceline—the girl who had yelled at Luna—with her black hair being twisted around her finger. She looks towards me for a moment, then smiles. You can vaguely see tears streaming down her face. When her chariot pulls out of sight, I look towards Cinna, who is lighting a torch.

One by one, each chariot pulls into the streets. When the Chinese chariot rolls down the streets, Cinna walks over with the torch, green fire burning lightly on it. "Here we go," he says, and before we can react he sets our capes on fire. Katie screams, expecting the worst, but stops and laughs after a moment. A genuine laugh, filled with her sweet tone, like back at camp.

"It tickles," she says between laughs.

I realize she's right. It doesn't burn. Cinna lights her tiara on the top where a gem would sit,then steps of the chariot and waves as the chariot starts moving slowly.

"Give them a good show," Cinna tells us as he backs away and the chariot begins to move. As we gain momentum and lurch forward, I look back at him while Katie tilts her head at me.

"What are you looking at? Eyes forward," she chides in a motherly tone. Cinna holds up his hands, intertwined fingers, and bounces his eyebrows on his forhead.

Oh good gods.

Katie notices what I see as we pull out in front of the crowd. Our heads snap back towards them, not turning towards each other, but we speak through our smiles.

"Cinna wants us to hold hands," Katie mutters through a fake grin. "Travis will kill me."

"It's okay. Holding hands is a symbol of friendship." I say.

She nods and closes her eyes. Then she takes my hand as our chariot rolls further into the streets. People cheer and whistle as we pass. I lift my chin higher and Katie pushes it back down with her other hand.

"Too high, Death Boy," she says, even though she's not facing me.

I lift my chin again, but this time not as high. "Better?"

Katie glances at me, and then turns back to the crowd on her right. A real smile forms on her face. "Perfect."

The crowd actually likes us. We pass by the Muses, and they throw a rose at Katie. She puts on her best smile and blows a kiss at them. Charisma is her expertise, and she gives off vibes of the kind girl that could break not only your heart in half, but your leg too if necessary. I am positive we will get at least one sponsor for the Games. I need to learn to step up my game. It's not until we reach the palace of Olympus that I realize I'm probably cutting off circulation in Katie's hand. I immediately let go and Katie rubs her hand.

"I was just about to tell you that my hand was numb," she says jokingly.

"Well, I'm nervous. Don't blame me. I've never actually had this many people showing me affection before."

"So this is all new to you?" she asks. "Welcome to the celebrity life. Remind me to tell you later how popular I was at camp." she smirks/.

The chariots all stop in front of the palace. Zeus and Hera walk onto the balcony above us. They give everyone a formal greeting and wish everyone luck at the Half-Blood Games. I see a giant television above them, like one you would see at a football stadium. It shows each chariot and I keep myself from gasping when it shows Katie and I. The fire on our capes illuminates our faces. I can see they didn't put any makeup on Katie. It makes both me and her not look fake, or like a Barbie doll.

After Zeus and Hera's welcoming speech, our chariot pulls into the training center made specifically for these Games. As we enter the building, my prep team engulfs Katie and me, telling us how stunning we looked. Other tributes shoot us dirty looks, except for some girls, because we have outshone them all. Marceline nods and smiles at me, then points her finger to herself, then me. I excuse myself from the prep team and walk over to her.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Marceline." She holds out her hand.

"Nico,"

"My mentor thinks we should be allies in the Games, is that okay with you?" she asks.

"Yeah. I was just about to ask the same thing."

"We have to watch out for my partner, James, though. He wants to kill you himself when the Games begin." She advises.

Um, wow. That escalated quickly.

"Oh, good. I have a new enemy." I mutter.

Marceline laughs. "I've got to go. Good luck!"

"Bye," I murmur, though she's already down the hall when I say it. So her partner isn't going to listen to their mentor? Perfect... at least Katie and I will work together. I look up to Katie, she's a guiding light and a motherly figure of sorts.

When I walk back to Katie, she raises her eyebrows. Hand, on her hip. A typical Katie stance. "What was that about? Flirting with the ladies?"

"She wanted me to be her ally," I say.

Her joking smile is cleared off of her expression. She looks to the ground, biting her lip slightly. Its easy to tell shes contemplating what to tell me. Finally, she responds.

"There's always the chance that she will betray you."

"I know, I know." I say, pushing past her in a friendly manner. "Look, I'm starving."

Switching back to her positive demeanor, she laughs slightly, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Okay, let's go get some dinner." She leads me down the hall, and into the elevator. After pressing the button, and elevator doors close and I glance to her. Everything's going to be alright.

**A/N: This isn't as popular as Then GenderBender Prank was, but oh well. I'm going to finish this story!**


	5. Dinner and the Garden

**A/N: Hi! I found out I have exams all this week, so wish me luck! For every time I update on this story, another chapter will come on the sequel. I'll try my hardest to get it up tomorrow afternoon. I'll be switching POVs a lot once the tributes enter the arena. For this chapter, it will be Katie's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I am not making any profit off of this, nor do I own anything except my own OCs.**

**Katie POV:**

I push Nico into the elevator and wait for the doors to close. The walls are made of glass so we could watch the people below get smaller and smaller. The ceiling holds a beautiful chandelier, that doesn't shake at all as we soar upwards.

"Here are your rooms," Effie says as we step off the elevator. There were two ebony doors opposite of each other. One had a skull and 'Nico' spelled in Greek, the other had a vine with my name spelled in Greek.

We both walked down the hallway, leaving Effie by the elevator. I give Nico one last look and enter my quarters.

I gasp as I step into a room bigger than my cabin at camp. I rush into the bathroom to find hundreds of shampoo bottles lined on shelves, along with sponges and scented soaps. The walls are a dark green, and the curtain has a pattern of vines. I quickly jump into the shower and pick a random container of shampoo and soap. When I'm done, I pull on a robe and enter the main room.

I start jumping on the king-sized bed. The silky comforter that touches my feet tickles me, and I start to laugh uncontrollably. I remember Miranda and I jumping on our beds in the Demeter cabin, only to get caught by Chiron. It was the night before the Reapings, before I knew what I would go through.

I go to the closet to pick out a simple tank top and jeans. I grab a hair band from the giant jewelry box and put my hair up in a long ponytail.

"Katie, dinner is ready!" Effie calls.

I open the door and walk to the dining room. Nico has his arms resting against the railing of the balcony, and he's looking over at the starry sky. Cinna and Portia are overlooking designs in a notebook, pointing to styles of different clothes, and trying to decide which is best. I walk past and join Nico. He jumps a little when he notices me right beside him.

"When did you get here?" he asks.

"Just now. Have you found out anything new?"

"Well, Haymitch controls our sponsors. Which means he controls when we get extra survival equipment."

"Great." I say. He's probably going to make Nico and I work for it.

A servant in a white tunic comes up to us. "Would you two like some wine?"

"We're not old enough—" I start to explain.

"Sure!" Nico takes a glass of red liquid from him, and smirks at me.

The man nudges the tray of glasses towards me, but I refuse and thank him anyways. When he leaves, I raise my eyebrows at Nico.

"What? Chiron isn't going to let us ever drink wine. Now's our chance. It's sad that I get to have wine when Dionysus doesn't!" Nico says excitedly, but he still eyes the glass nervously.

"Well? Drink it." I order.

"Fine." He tilts his head backwards and takes a sip. His eyes widen and I step out of the way just in time. He spits wine all over the marble floor, and Effie rushes over to him and scolds him. He goes into a fit that is inbetween laughter and coughing. He's starts trying to complain how it tasted like something that Grover would eat.

"You know you shouldn't be drinking! You're only twelve! Why, I should make you clean this mess up, but that's what he is for!" Effie points towards the man in the white tunic. "You! Clean that up, please. Why were you even asking him if he wanted wine? You can obviously see that he's twelve!"

I choke back laughter as Nico tries to apologize. After minutes of bickering between Nico, Effie, and the waiter, the mess finally gets cleaned up and Nico takes a seat at the long dining table. I sit next to him and say something along the lines of, "I told you so". He rolls his eyes and drinks a glass of water.

"I wish this was Coca-Cola," he complains.

"You have lost your privileges, Mr. di Angelo." Effie tells him.

"Why?"

"You have drunk wine! Chiron told me if you do anything that you're not supposed to, than there will be consequences. Any glasses you drink from will not contain the liquid of your choice. You will only be drinking water." Effie explains.

Nico pokes his food with a fork. "What are you, my mother?"

"I am simply you're new supervisor. Why would I ever be your mother?"

"Effie? It's sarcasm. He doesn't really mean you're his mother." Cinna points out.

A server brings us all kinds of platters. Chicken alfredo, pork chops, Japanese rice. Everyone folds their napkin in their lap, and starts cutting up their food. Nico glances at me, and then does the same.

_He must look up to me since I'm older._ I tell myself_. He probably thinks I have a clue as to what's going on. _But I don't. Nobody at Camp Half-Blood eats like this, except maybe Aphrodite girls. I keep eating quietly until Nico leans towards me.

"Katie, why doesn't my soup have any letters?"

I sigh. "At camp you can act however you want, but here you have to act like a grown-up. You're twelve, Nico. Please act like it—but more polite."

"Percy told me it's okay to be a kid, though."

"Percy's not here, is he?"

He looks at me sadly and starts eating his food once more. He doesn't speak for the rest of dinner.

"Let's go watch the Opening Ceremony replays, shall we?" Effie suggests.

The Sitting Room is just like a movie theater, except not as many seats and no dimmed lights. We all sit in recliner chairs in front of a large TV. I lean back and look towards Haymitch, who gestures me to sit back up.

"This is not time for relaxing. Just sit." He orders.

I watch as one by one, tributes pull into the streets in dazzling chariots. Their costumes are really good, but they don't get as much cheering as Nico and I do when we show up. You can see our capes radiating heat, and us waving to people in the crowds like we've set ourselves on fire before. We look calm and relaxed, but I know we didn't feel calm or relaxed. When the screen goes black, Haymitch stands up.

"We start training tomorrow. Meet me at breakfast and I'll tell you your strategy. Now, go to sleep. You've had a long day."

Nico and I leave the room, but he doesn't walk with me. He immediately runs into the shadows and disappears. I watch the ground as my feet carry me to my bedroom.

Nico probably hasn't said anything to me since dinner because I told him Percy wasn't here. I know he didn't need to be reminded of that but that's my response when Travis and Connor make an excuse like that. Percy was like a brother to Nico as far as I knew. Percy had once taken him out of camp to go get ice cream, and he came back the happiest boy alive. He was jumping up and down, saying how fun it was to get out of camp for once. Since he had no siblings, I could see why he would think of Percy as his brother. If Nico dies in the arena…

No. I won't let him die. That's a promise. Everyone would be devastated if he died. I could just see Annabeth sobbing into Percy's shoulders as they burned a shroud with a skull…

I slam my door shut only to hear it open again.

"Katie?"

I slam my head into a fluffy, green pillow. "Go away,"

"What?"

My words are muffled by the pillow. I lift my head off the pillow to speak clearly, but I don't look at the person. "I said 'go away'." I drop my head into my pillow again.

"I need to show you something."

A cold hand touches mine and pulls me off of my bed. I open my eyes to see Nico pulling into the darkest part of the room, and shadow-traveling me to a rooftop. He lets me go and walks over the railing. The streets of gold below are buzzing with people. You can hear music from the Muses and see people in crowds, talking loudly to each other.

I stand by the railing and see him studying it.

"You're not jumping off." I order him.

"I wouldn't be able to, anyway. There's powerful magic that keeps people from committing suicide by jumping."

There was a short silence until I realize something. "How did you shadow-travel if you can't use your powers like that?"

"There's boundaries. I can't shadow-travel out of Olympus or this building. But I can use it to get around. It's much quicker."

"Oh,"

I look to the left to see a small garden with potted plants. I walk over cautiously and pick a flower. It seems to glow in the moonlight.

"Percy has one of those," Nico tells me. "They can only be planted at night."

I place it in my dark hair and turn to Nico. "How does it look?" I pretend to be a typical Aphrodite girl and pose.

He starts laughing. "It looks fine, but you're starting to remind me of Drew."

I hit him lightly on the shoulder. "You're so mean!"

"I know Travis would like it though."

I smile at his name and lower my head so Nico doesn't see me blushing.

"You'll see him soon," he assures me.

I nod and push my hair behind my ear. "We should probably go back to our rooms, or Effie may scold you _again_."

"Hey! That was partially your fault for not stopping me!" Nico protests.

"It's not my fault you get into trouble,"

"I don't get into trouble. Trouble and I are playing a game of hide-and-seek. Most of the time, trouble's it." Nico explains with a grin.

I pat his head like he's a dog. "Just keep telling yourself that."

He scowls and smacks my hand. "Let's just go."

He takes my hand, and pulls me into the shadows once more.


	6. Before Training

**A/N: Hi! I'm going to try to update this story on Fridays, and 'How I Survived Being Five' on Sundays or Mondays. Here's another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I still own my characters, and ONLY my characters. Percy Jackson and Hunger Games characters are not mine.**

**Nico POV:**

The next morning I wake with a start. Last night I felt…well, normal. Katie didn't avoid me like the plague—unlike most of the campers. Could it have been because she was _forced _to spend time with me?

_No_, I tell myself. _She actually looked happy last night._

I have a silent argument with myself in the shower. Was Katie really my friend? She acts happy around the Stolls, yet she hates them. Could she be acting with me, too? I finally decide to ask her at breakfast.

I pull on some plain jeans and a tee with a skull. Nobody has called me to breakfast yet, so I wander there myself since I'm hungry. My eyes glance down at my black watch; it's 9:45.

The good thing about today was that I woke up on my own. I like sleeping in late. I can have time to relax and not worry about what people think of me—unfortunately, they think of me as an outsider. No Annabeth shaking me awake, no Percy dumping water on me just to get me out of bed. It's nice, really—but I miss them all. I highly doubt I'll ever see them again.

"You're a little late, aren't you?" Haymitch asks as I sit down at the table.

"What?" I protest. "Nobody woke me up!"

Katie raises her eyebrows. "What are you talking about? Effie told you to get up at least an hour ago. It couldn't have taken you that long to get in the shower and get dressed. Where were you, Narnia?"

I faintly remember Effie nagging me and telling me to get up earlier this morning. "Oh."

"You're a heavy sleeper." Haymitch states.

"I don't usually get to sleep in this late at Camp Half-Blood." I tell him. I fill my plates with some bacon and eggs, and then look into my glass. There's only water. I curse under my breath—I got my 'drinking' privileges taken away last night. Thanks, Effie.

"Training is later," Effie announces happily as she enters the room. "Oh, and sleeping beauty is awake!"

"Be quiet," I mumble under my breath. Thankfully, Effie doesn't hear me.

"Are you going to coach us separately or together? I heard the others were being coached separately." Katie explains.

"I'm going to train you together, it'll be much easier for me." Haymitch says.

_Of course. _I think to myself. If it were me, I would've taken the easy way too.

"I need to know both of your powers," Haymitch continues.

"Well, I can control plants since my mother is Demeter," Katie brags. "I can manipulate plants and grow a jungle in a minute."

"Demeter nags me too much." I complain. Katie shoots me a glare, but I ignore it completely. _It's not as good as my death glare._

"Your powers, boy?" Haymitch asks.

"_I _can levitate rocks, control the dead, and put the dead to sleep, have them obey my commands, communicate with the dead, tell when someone is dying or being judged, banish people to the Underworld, control darkness and shadows, shadow-travel, and radiate fear." I smile smugly. "But, of course, it's not as cool as growing plants."

"Shut up, Death Breath." Katie mutters. "You're just like Travis."

"So you have a lot of power? That's good, especially the radiating fear part. That can be used for an advantage." He sees Katie's narrowed eyes, and quickly adds, "And Katie, I suspect the Arena will either be a jungle or a forest, so you're at an advantage too.

"Did they teach you how to survive at Camp Half-Blood?"

Katie nods. "Yep. We know archery, sword-fighting, riding a Pegasus—"

I tried to keep myself from laughing. "I would definitely be surprised if we have to ride a beautiful pegasus through the Arena, bouncing on rainbows and-"

"Okay." Haymitch looks at me and I know I need to cut down on the sarcasm. If I talked to Father like this he would burn me to a crisp.

"You can't reveal your powers in the Training Center, save those for private sessions. Nico, try not to radiate death _too much_. Stuff like that."

Katie snorts. "Please, he can't _stop _radiating death. His breath practically smells like death. No offense or anything."

"I'm glad we're good friends, Katie." Now that I think about it, I do sound a lot like Travis. I knew I shouldn't have hung out with him before the Reapings.

"One more thing I need you to do," Haymitch says sternly. "I want you to show that your friends. By each other's side every minute and laughing like you've known each other forever."

"Haymitch, I don't think we can—"

"Didn't you _agree _that you would do everything I told you to do?"

"Yes, but he's just like Travis and Connor-"

"I don't care! Do you want to survive or not?"

"Yes," she squeaks. She's not used to getting into trouble; I can tell by the way she immediately slumps down into her chair.

"You have a few minutes before training, now go. Meet us downstairs, and don't be late."

Katie and I get up from the table. Was she joking around a few minutes ago when she acted like I was annoying her? _I _was joking around. We had become good friends last night, but now it seemed like all of it was gone.

**A/N: I need your help! Go to my profile page and take my poll. I'm thinking about putting this story on hold, along with the sequel. I want to start a new story, but I don't know what to do! Please help. Please? Thanks for reading, you guys. You're awesome!**


	7. Training

**A/N: If you're bored and have nothing to do, just go to my profile and take my poll.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Katie POV:**

"Remember, you can move from one training area to another, but stick with the stations that you have little or no training in." Haymitch tells us as we step off of the elevator.

Even though it isn't time for training yet, everyone else is there. We slowly open the door, hoping not to attract attention, but we do anyway. Tributes' heads turn our way. Some make faces as if they had just eaten a sour lemon, but a couple smile warmly. The rest just look at us with a bored expression. Nico and I line up with the other tributes and I wonder whether we'll be better or worse than them.

The trainer continues to read aloud a list of the skill stations but I hardly hear her words.

My eyes find the other tributes and I realize most of them are younger than me. I wish there was a way to save them all, but there's no hope.

I lean my head a bit to see more tributes, but I immediately regret it. One of the Norse tributes named James is already looking at me, and so is a girl named Mary from the Chinese camp. They both scowl at me and James pretends to slice his neck with his finger. _Great, they want me dead. No being allies with them._

Nico is at my right, staring at that Marceline girl. It looks like they're having a silent conversation or something. I don't trust her. I don't know why, it's just the way she comes across to me. When Nico told me he wanted to be her ally, I was almost positive she was trying to trick him. He's already had enough betrayal in his life.

_She's probably using the raising-a-pig-for-slaughter technique. Tons of Titans and Olympians use it on us demigods, _I think to myself.

When the head trainer stops talking, she lets us go to a station. Nico follows me as I start to walk.

"So, where to first?" he asks me.

I take in my surroundings. There are many things we already know like sword-fighting and defense skills. I see some stations with skills I don't think I'll use, but I know they're there for a reason.

"Let's go learn to tie knots," I say as I pull Nico towards the unpopulated stand. All the other tributes were at the archery and sword-fighting stands.

"But, Katie," Nico whines. "I'm not five; I know how to tie a knot."

The trainer is pleased to see us and welcomes us cheerfully. "Welcome, demigods! Knots will be very helpful in the Arena. You can make snares and traps to capture your enemies and food. The gods won't have chocolate bars lying around the Arena, will they? You have to hunt."

"You mean they won't have a McDonalds?" Nico mutters.

The trainer laughs. "Since when would a survival challenge have a McDonalds?"

"When I rule over the world with all of my followers, and kill everyone who disagrees with me." Nico says eerily.

The trainer backs up slowly, and teaches us to tie knots for snares. He only looks up at me though—I think Nico creeped him out a little. Okay, a _lot_.

When he leaves us to practice, I elbow Nico in the ribcage.

"What was that for?" he asks angrily.

"For creeping him out."

"I'm use to people thinking of me as an outsider. Plus, he was already looking at me weirdly." He turns back to the table, and continues to tie a knot.

"Just because someone is staring or looking at you weirdly doesn't mean you can say you'll kill people if they argue with you. It makes you sound like a future mass murderer." I tell him.

"Well, _sorry_! No wonder Travis gets annoyed by you so much."

I glare at him. "I'm trying to teach you how to be polite!"

He scoffs and says, "You can take your politeness and shove it up your—oh, look, I did it."

I look at the giant ball of rope in his hands. "Nico, he didn't mean a ball-of-jumbled-rope knot. You were supposed to make a knot that could be used in snares."

He rolls his eyes. "Perfectionist much? I don't know about using it in a snare, but I can throw it at someone's head and knock 'em out cold." He turns the ball of rope in his hands and smiles evilly. "I like my ideas. Stay out of my way if you see this thing in my hands at the Arena."

"You won't last a minute in that hell-hole if that's your strategy." I point out.

"I spend half of my days in Hell itself, so I think I've got this."

We move onto camoflague and I quickly learn that Nico doesn't need any practice with it. He just steps into the shadows and disappears.

However, he bombs the edible plant test. I knew all of the answers in a blink of an eye because we have almost every type of plant in the Demeter cabin. If the Arena turns out to be a jungle, then Nico will be in deep trouble. We both stay clear of sword-fighting and archery though, because we've had enough training at camp.

We get up early for the next couple days, and I have to practically carry Nico to the Training Area. He thinks the gods are trying to torture us by making us wake up early, but I ignore him and keep telling him, "Wake up and smell the roses, Death Boy."

I feel relieved when the final day of training comes.

Nico and I are practicing knife-tossing when I notice a girl in the corner of the Training Center. She's watching Nico and me with a spark of curiosity in her eyes. I don't remember her name, but she looks familiar. She smiles and laughs when Nico starts doing his "happy dance" every time he gets a bulls eye.

I pick up a knife and lean toward him. "Nico, the girl in the corner is watching us, but don't look at her yet. She'll think we're talking about her."

He nods and doesn't look at the girl until I throw the knife. When it's his turn he completely misses the target. "Crap!"

I hear the girl giggle, and both me and Nico turn around. We motion for her to come over kindly. She cautiously walks out of her corner, locking her eyes on anything but us. I can tell she's very shy by the way she keeps her head down.

"Do you want to train with us?" I ask.

She lifts her head and nods.

Nico gives her his hand. "Hi, I'm Nico. I'm from the Greek camp. This is Katie."

She shakes it slightly and says, "K-Katsumi. Everyone calls me Kat. I'm from the Japanese camp."

Her voice is so quiet, like she doesn't want us to hear her.

Nico tries to get her out of her shell by telling her about himself. He explains how we have a rock-climbing wall with lava pouring down it, and how we go by a schedule each day, like regular school.

"At my camp," she begins. "We don't have a schedule. Your camp sounds fun, but isn't it a little dangerous to have lava pouring down a rock-climbing wall?"

"It gives us a challenge," he tells her.

"What gives us a challenge is Aka Manto."

"Who?" Nico and I ask in unison.

"Aka Manto. Whenever we're in the bathrooms at camp, he asks us if we want a red cape or a blue cape. If you say red, he'll ripe the skin off of your back to resemble a red cape. If you say blue, he'll suffocate you until your whole body turns blue, representing a blue cape. The only right answer is 'no cape'."

I look over at Nico. "Wow, that's um, really scary. How many times has he asked you that?"

"A lot. Sometimes we forget to tell the new campers, and they kind of…die…painfully."

"Here," I hand her a knife.

She aims carefully and throws it fast. It barely hits the edge of the target. "I'm better at defending myself than actually attacking."

Kat starts to open up to us. She hasn't talked at all ever since the Reapings, and she didn't plan on it until now. We talk about our godly parents, and we find out that her godly parent is Uso-dori, the Japanese goddess of singing. Her plan for the Arena is to hide in trees until everyone dies—she makes us swear we won't tell anyone her plan. Her fellow tribute, Manny, is the son of a goddess of Death. Nobody at camp favored him because he was a bully, and he constantly picked on Kat.

"He thinks he's better than everyone else," she explains. "Personally, I hope Nico kills him."

Nico puts a hand on her shoulder and tells her he'll try his best. I smile at the fact that he's made some friends.

"You two are the closest things I've got to siblings." Kat looks at me sadly. "I was the youngest one at camp; everyone else was a teenager. I'm kind of glad that I made some friends, even though I met them right before I have to fight them."

"How would you like to become part of our alliance?" Nico questions.

She agrees and asks how old he is.

"I'm twelve," Nico answers.

"Oh, you seemed like you were fourteen or fifteen. You act mature. I'm nine but my birthday is in a few days."

Suddenly, a voice rings throughout the room. "First up, James Casper. The Olympians ask that the other tributes please leave the Training Area. Thank you."

"I-It's starting," Nico stutters. "The private sessions."

It's not the sessions with Haymitch, I realize. It'll be much harder. I have to impress all twelve Olympians.

**A/N: Katsumi is Rue! Do you think she should die on the first day, or live to the last one? I already planned out everything, but I want to see what you think. I'm going to finish my stories before I start a new one. Thanks for reading this chapter!**


	8. Impressing the Olympians: Katie's Turn

**A/N: It's been too long! I've missed you all!**

**Katie POV:**

I take a deep breath. The person before me is going to be done any minute. I can feel my whole body shaking. Nico leans against the wall, patiently waiting his turn. It would be easy for him to impress the Olympians, he's one of the Big Three! He looks calm, like he's just waiting in line to place an order at McDonalds. This score could affect everything. People would only sponsor the strongest demigods. If anyone got a low score, no one would sponsor and give them materials needed for survival. _Great._

"Katie Gardner." A voice says over the intercom.

Oh, gods.

Nico looks up and smiles sadly. "Good luck."

"I'll need it." I mutter as I open the giant doors slowly.

I step in, and no gods look at me. They are on a platform high above the Training Area, feasting on fruits and vegetables, picked from my mother's garden probably. There's a giant chocolate lion in the middle of the table. Gods and goddesses circle around it, admiring every detail.

Making my way to the center, I try to control my anger. They weren't even going to pay attention? Then how in Hades could they score me? _That's it…_

I try shooting arrows at targets, making as much noise as possible, nothing. I attack dummies, still nothing. The food was more important than me. I look towards them and growl under my breath. Something catches my eye in the stands.

How come I missed this tiny little detail?

My mother was smiling warmly at me from the platform, motioning for me to go on. _She had faith in me._

One Olympian down, eleven more to go.

I notch an arrow in my bow and search for something that would get their attention. _Got it…_

I release my grip, sending the arrow across the room. It hits a water pipe near the gods.

It causes a crack that grow larger and larger by the nanosecond, and at the last moment, it sprays water on everyone. I step back to avoid getting wet. Aphrodite screams and starting shaking out her hair, while Poseidon glares at me. Zeus and Hades are laughing at Aphrodite's reaction heartily. I glanced at Demeter, who was shaking her head. Poseidon flicks his wrist and the pipes' cracks seal shut. All of the water dries up, too, and Aphrodite was perfectly dry within a second.

They all glance at me, but go back to chatting about the 'wonderful' dinner. To me, that dinner was the thing that stood between me and them.

Haymitch told me to bottle up my anger, but I can't. Not anymore. I was _so _close. I let my frustration get the best of me, and clench my fists tightly.

_I wish all of the food would just GO AWAY so they could actually score me! _I think.

Vines and plants sprout out from the ground. Still, nobody pays attention. They rise higher and higher, until they reach the platform. A vine grabs onto the giant chocolate lion statue, and slams it down on the ground. The Olympians go into a state of panic, I would too if a giant plants grabs something before my eyes. Their precious chocolate lion has gotten stolen by yours truly.

I try to stop, but I can't. It feels good to finally have their attention. I hear snapping behind me. I turn around slowly and found myself face-to-face with a Venus Flytrap. While I was only 5'2", it's about 8 feet tall at the least. It bares its fangs and opens its mouth so wide that Chiron could easily be swallowed up.

The vines sway gracefully above me, and the one that was holding the chocolate lion grows larger and larger until it reaches the Venus Flytrap. I smirk as it drops the dessert in the carnivorious plant's mouth. It gobbles it up and the vines grab more food in a swift motion. One by one, they drop more fruits and vegetables into the Venus Flytraps mouth. It must've been starving since it didn't stop until every piece of food had been cleared off of the table. The gods try to tug their dinner out of the vines' grasp, but they were no match.

What scares me the most was the fact that _I _was doing all of this. The Olympians are going to kill me. Aphrodite would ruin my love life, Hermes would have Connor and Travis annoy me more than usual, and Hades is definitely going to send me to the Fields of Punishment.

As quickly as they grew, the vines and plants shrink back down into the earth, even the Venus Flytrap. I was alone with the twelve Olympians. For some reason, my mother was smiling at me. She gave me a thumbs up. _Why was this catastrophe good?_

I turn sharply so they can't see my expression. "I-I'll be going now." I can't believe what I'd just done. I've disrespected the Olympians. Everyone at camp would be so mad at me…

They don't answer. I know they were probably too angry to, anyway.

When the door slams shut, I pass Nico, who is still leaning against the wall. He looks up.

"How'd it go?"

I sit on the tile floor and sigh. "Pretty good I guess, except for the fact that my Venus Flytrap ate all of their food."

I tell him all about how they didn't pay attention, and I let my temper get the best of me. I tell him everything, and it feels good to let someone know what happened. Haymitch is going to murder me when I tell him, so at least I would have Nico to back me up.

Nico looks excited for a moment. "Did the Venus Flytrap eat Persephone? Please tell me it did! I wouldn't have to get bossed around by her anymore, or water the plants in her garden—"

"Persephone wasn't there." I interrupt him.

"But wherever my dad goes, she follows. They call it 'true love', but I prefer a better definition: stalking. She's a little freaky, you know?"

"Well, she wasn't there. I'm going up to my room, tell me how your training goes later."

"Um, okay? Bye."

My room is perfectly clean when I enter it. The dresser is dusted off, clothes are folded neatly in the drawers, and the bed is made neatly.

I don't know how, but I drift asleep as soon as I fall back onto the bed. I must be exhausted from growing all of those plants.

I'm in a field of wheat, along with another person. I immediately recognize my mother and smile warmly.

"You did well," she tells me.

"Well?" I ask. "I practically stole all of your food!"

"That was very good. The scores depend on how tributes get our attention.

"You see, Katie," my mom continues. "We were _required _to ignore you. We wanted to see how you would use your abilities to get our attention. As much as I hated it, I had to pretend you weren't there.

"You can't tell anyone else. It would ruin everything. I trust you to keep the Training Score secret."

"I won't tell anyone, mom. I promise." I swear on the River Styx, and she wraps her arm around my shoulder.

"I am so proud of you. Use your abilities to survive; I have a feeling you'll be the most prepared of all the tributes."

I smile. "Thanks, but they're going to be more powerful than me, plus they have more powers!"

"It doesn't matter how many powers they have," she chides me. "All that matters is how prepared you are, and you will be more powerful than you could ever dream."

I can tell she means it by the look on her face. We sit in the field and talk for a few minutes. I feel that my troubles are gone, and this is just another day at camp. When she tells me she has to go, she walks into the horizon, leaving me in the field. I sigh and lay on the grass. I wish this all had never happened, but wishes don't always come true, do they?

**A/N: Nico's training is next. I'll be updating on this and my deviantArt drawings as much as I can, so stay tuned. My deviantArt is still LongLastingDreams, and has pictures I drew for PJO. If you have an account, you can send me a note about what I should draw next. Okay, I'll see you all later, PEACE!**


	9. Impressing the Olympians: Nico's Turn

**A/N: I can't believe people actually reviewed this even though I haven't updated for a while…**

**I've redone my plan for the plot and put a couple twists in it. Thanks to everyone who has been reading. It's Nico's turn!**

**Disclaimer: I clearly don't own Hunger Games or Percy Jackson.**

**Nico's POV:**

It's finally my turn. I step into the room and look up at the balcony overlooking the room. The gods and goddesses are chatting and drinking wine, like this is all some kind of party. I notice there's no food in sight; they probably didn't want another 'Katie incident' to occur.

Like Katie had told me before, the Olympians were ignoring me. I walk towards the knife-throwing station and look back at them once more. My own dad is even ignoring me.

I throw a knife, and it flies past the target. I pick up one after another, squinting my eyes and aiming every time. Each one I throw gets closer and closer to the target. The knives would clang against the board, and the sound would echo throughout the large room.

I'm surprised that they don't even flinch. Even though I'm the one who's throwing the knives, I flinch at the sound. I wonder, _are they doing this on purpose?_

Sighing, I slowly walk towards the knot station, making sure my footsteps are heard. All kinds of rope are scattered across the counter. I am hoping that there is a knot already tied so I can copy, but I have no such luck. Even though Katie and I had loads of practice, I can't even manage to make a knot like she could. It just turns out as a ball of jumbled rope.

I climb the rock wall, weight-lift (though I don't lift much), and practice archery. I do most of the stations until I get bored—which takes about two minutes each—and I finally stop at the camouflage station.

I mix paints and use a paintbrush to paint the mixture onto my skin, swirling colors together. Rachel would be jumping with joy to see me actually picking up art supplies. She tried to teach me to draw and paint a couple weeks ago, but my drawing of a bunny looks more like a wounded elephant. I told her I would never pick up a paintbrush again…yet here I am. I realize that it's really boring painting onto yourself and glance towards the Olympians. For once, I actually see Dad socializing with the others. He looks like he doesn't hate them. And they look like they don't hate him. Weird….

I suddenly get an idea. The balcony is all the way on the other side of the room—plus, nobody is paying attention to me—so I know it will work. I turn and scope out the whole area, making sure there's room. I find a small corner, but thankfully it looks like I can fit.

I take a deep breath and walk a little bit towards the corner. Thank gods I can shadow-travel throughout the building. _I'm going to get into so much trouble for this…_

I start to sprint. Within seconds my heart is beating at the speed of lightning. Hopefully this doesn't drain my powers too much-or I send myself to China…again.

I go right through the wall, exactly as planned. I catch myself before I can cheer aloud for being successful. I cover my mouth with my hands and breathe in and out of my nose slowly. _I wonder if they can hear my heart beat really loud—like I can._

The reason I'm being so nervous is because I am standing right behind the Olympians.

If I make one sound, my plan will be ruined. I carefully side-step against the wall, being sure that my feet won't be heard.

They're all in a large group, chatting loudly like kids in a cafeteria. Ares and Hephaestus shush them for a moment and it seems like time slows down. They all turn towards the two gods, giving them all their attention.

_Do they notice I'm gone? Oh, gods, this is bad…_

Hephaestus and Ares look at each other for a moment, and then back at the Olympians surrounding them.

"We have a slight problem," Hephaestus says, glancing from left to right.

"You see—"

Ares cuts him off. I try to shrink back into the shadows to avoid being seen. _I know he's going to tell them…I think he saw me… _"We haven't had a drinking competition yet, guys!"

Hephaestus breaks into a wide grin. "Exactly! I bet I could beat both you AND Dionysus, Ares."

I sigh, but cover my mouth once more. _Hopefully they didn't notice._

Apparently, I picked the perfect time to sigh since that was when all of the goddesses and gods started to cheer.

Dionysus, Ares, and Hephaestus line up at the long table and begin downing drinks, one by one. Of course, I know Dionysus is going to win. I bet they all know it. Goddesses are cheering them on, while my dad and Zeus are rolling their eyes.

I only need to go a few more paces until I'm directly behind them. I inch closer and closer, each second seeming like an hour, each step making the room seem to stretch, until I'm finally behind them.

My dad is literally three steps in front of me, and in the back of the crowd. I look to my left only to realize I'm right by the edge of the balcony. I snuck from one corner all the way to the left, without being noticed by the most powerful immortal people in the demigod world. Travis and Connor would be so proud of me…

I take a breath through my nose and step a little bit closer to my dad. Everyone is laughing and clapping as they watch Dionysus, Ares, and Hephaestus.

I keep my eyes open, so I can see everyone's reaction. I practically stand on my toes so I can reach my dad's ear. Then I scream, "Boo!"

He jumps and shouts in alarm. I would too, if some stalker did that to me at a party. He falls onto the floor, his eyes as big as tomatoes, shaking slightly. I never knew the god of death could become so terrified.

If the others didn't know I was here before, they definitely know now. Most of the goddesses scream and jump back, dropping whatever is in their hands , while the gods shout curse words in alarm and stumble backwardds. Some almost fall off of the balcony. They all turned towards me, not saying a word. Wine is spilled everywhere from their panic attacks, covering the entire floor.

I, on the other hand, am laughing so hard that I can't stop. How could the _Olympians _be scared so easily? "You...should've…seen…the…looks…on…your…faces! Priceless!" I really hope that there are cameras in here so I can watch this moment over and over!

I step back, not realizing that the balcony edge was behind me, and I slam into it. Somehow, I slip accidentally on the wine that had spilled. I come to my senses and find myself falling off of the balcony. I scream and shut my eyes as I hear the Olympians above me scream also. I land hard onto the ground and immediately start to sink into unconciousness. I try to fight it, but I grow weaker by the nanosecond. I force my eyes to stay open, though I just want to end the scorching pain I feel now from my fall. I finally can't take the pain in my back and let my drowsiness overcome me. The screams from above me get quieter and quieter.

**A/N: Don't ya hate cliffhangers. I wanted to make this chapter longer, but I decided it wouldn't have been as fun. Anyway, I didn't get my beta to read this because I wanted to update right away, so please excuse the grammar mistakes.**


	10. The Scores Come In

** A/N: I got more reviews than I anticipated, so I updated earlier. Yay! Thanks to all who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: Look in previous chapters.**

**Katie's POV:**

I'm sitting on the couch, just staring out of the window when I hear Haymitch. It sounds like he's panicking.

"Katie! Nico's hurt! Come on, now!" he screams.

I get to my feet and rush out the door. I look to the elevator to see it closing. I have no time to lose, so I run to the stairs and take two at a time. My heart beats faster as I think of all of the possibilities. He could've made the gods mad and Zeus would've zapped him, or he could've hurt himself. Him, being the idiot he is (similar to Travis), I bet he injured himself. What could he have done though? Accidentally thrown a knife at himself? Well, Nico has a tendency to drop things. What if it was one of those weights? Oh, gods, I'm going to kill him…

I'm panting by the time I reach the Training Center. I burst through the doors and find all of the Olympians in a crowd. I rush over and push my way past each god and goddess. Haymitch is already in the middle, talking to Apollo, trying to be louder than the others. Apollo has hair as bright as sunlight (as usual) and sparkling blue eyes. I really hate when they make themselves look attractive. I see Nico lying on a cloud hovering a little above the ground, probably so Apollo could inspect him for injuries. By the look of him he seems unconscious.

"I think he's going to be okay, but there's a slight possibility of brain damage." Apollo announces. "He has a sprained ankle, but I can fix that when he wakes up."

He mutters something else under his breath, but I can't hear him. Goddesses let out sighs of relief and gods nod their heads in understanding.

Haymitch and I pull the cloud down the hallway and up to our floor. It's surprisingly light and easy to pull, even with Nico on it. Aphrodite comes with us and talks nonstop about how scared she was even though she doesn't know him well. She flips her wavy brown hair once in a while, and checks her make-up in a tiny mirror as she follows us. After a couple minutes (hours to my ears, I swear they started bleeding from Aphrodite's chatter,) we bid the love goddess goodbye.

"Can't I come in and make sure he'll be okay?" she asks as she flutters her eyelashes.

"Oh, no-no. That's okay." I didn't want to mention that Apollo would be up coming up here since she would likely go on a rant on how "unfair" it was.

She stretches her neck to see Haymitch laying Nico on the couch, but I start to close the door.

"Lady Aphrodite, he'll be fine. Apollo said so himself. So just leave with your pretty self and we'll call you up later." My expression turned from 'fake happy' to 'dead serious'. "Please, just leave."

"Okay!"

_It looks like she doesn't hear anything after someone compliments her..._

I slam the door and sit in a chair across from the couch. Nico is still unconscious. He has bruises covering his arms and it looks like Apollo has already cleaned up any blood that could've been there before. His head is tilted to one side and he's breathing slowly, but not at different paces, so that's good too.

Haymitch gets up after a while and starts opening drawers and cabinets. He checks the room and starts to search the bathroom.

I get up and follow him. "What are you looking for?"

He crouches and checks the cabinets under the sink, and pulls something out. It's clearly a large bowl…

"Um, what's it for?" I ask.

"Nico. He may throw up once he gets up. So I'm just being prepared. Go to the infirmary downstairs and ask for some of those thingies they wear on their faces."

"You mean a surgical mask?" I reply.

"Gods, you don't have to be Mrs. Know-It-All…"

"I'm not! I'm just correcting you so you know in the future!"

"Shut up and go." He tells me. "By the time you get back he may be awake."

"Why do we need those if he's already going to be awake when I come back?"

Haymitch rolls his eyes. "So we look professional, duh."

I sigh and leave the room. Taking the elevator, I wonder why he really wants surgical masks. So we don't catch a disease Nico may have? I don't even know what happened, but I know he didn't just pass out from having extreme-awesomeness disease. Yeah, since that's _so _likely.

Then again, I probably shouldn't question him. Even though he's not the best role model, he is an adult. I think he rubbed off Nico…ever since he wanted to drink that wine, he's been more and more like Haymitch. I'm just glad he didn't like that stuff.

"Hi, dear. What do you need?" The nurse says.

"Hi. My mentor sent me to ask if we could use a couple surgical masks."

She smiles and hands me three.

"May I ask why you need these?"

"Well, you see, my friend kind of passed out in the Training Center and Haymitch wants to be prepared for anything when he wakes up."

"Oh! Here, he might want some Tylenol too; since there's a chance he's going to have a headache for a while. Do you want some nectar and ambrosia also?"

"Thanks that would be great." I tell her.

She grabs a cup carrier like one you would see in McDonalds and puts ambrosia in one holder, nectar in another, and a Tylenol bottle in the next. Man, they have everything in infirmaries.

I click the elevator button, and the doors slide open with ease. Too bad there's already someone in there.

A girl with brown hair in a small ponytail looks up at me. I can already tell she's part of the Half-Blood Games by her uniform.

I step in and we awkwardly stand in silence for a minute. I look around in the opposite, hoping for something –anything— that I can keep my eyes on. Unlike the other elevators, this one isn't made of glass, and only has gold walls.

"I'm Nadia."

I jump at her words. I wasn't expecting her to talk. "Uh-hi. I'm Katie. Katie Gardner."

"Nadia Parson. I'm a daughter of Bast, Egyptian goddess of cats."

That explains her cat-like features. Her green eyes glow with curiosity, similar to a cat's. Her slim body makes her seem like she'd be the kind of person who could easily fold themselves into a small box.

"Demeter's my mom. Goddess of plants and all that. It's pretty cool that I can grow a jungle in someone's bathroom if I feel like it."

She smiles, but it quickly fades. "I don't want to fight you."

"Me neither. Too bad there's no way out of this."

She sighs, and turns towards the wall of the elevator.

"If someone was about to kill me painfully, would you kill them. Please?"

I barely knew this girl and she was already asking for an alliance? "I-I honestly don't know."

"Then you could kill me! Easily and not painfully, that's all I'm asking." I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was serious. "I-I wouldn't want to win if it meant that I survived killing _others. _Now, my ex-boyfriend Gavin…"

"Your teammate is your ex?" I ask.

"Yeah. He has a...horrifyingly violent manner. That's one reason we broke up. But if I were to be dying—"

The elevator doors slide open and I walk out.

"I would make your death easy and painless. I promise. But I would try to save you first—"

The doors start to close and she cranes her neck. I see her slightly smiling, and I know I can't break that promise. Why am I so nice to others? It'll get me into trouble someday…

"Thank gods you're here, Katie!" Apollo says as he slaps on a mask. "Good thing Haymitch asked for these, it's going to stink in the bathroom by the balcony. Nico got up and ran as soon as he woke up. We told him to put disinfectant spray all over the bathroom. And light the scented candles. I love the one that smells like cinnamon. I once knew a girl who smelled like cinnamon."

"Good for you?" I say.

Haymitch smirks as I hand him a mask. "I told you we would need them. He did exactly as I predicted."

"No—he did exactly as _I _predicted. I _am _the god of prophecies, am I not?" Apollo chimes in.

Once Nico comes out, he falls onto the couch and puts his hand to his head. "I don't feel so hot…"

His skin is almost pure white. His eyes have bags under them like he hasn't slept in a million years. His brown eyes look tired and weary, too. If you sat him next to a dead guy, then you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"You don't exactly look like a million bucks either," I tell him.

"I mean I don't feel good."

"You don't say?"

Apollo grabs him a blanket. "Here. So, can you explain how you feel?" He puts on some glasses and pulls out a clipboard."

"Well, I feel dazed and groggy. And like crap. I felt dizzy as soon as I got up."

I could see his hands shaking lightly.

"Oh, and I have a headache." Nico adds.

Haymitch gives him a couple of pills and he looks a lot better than before. His skin gains some color and he looks less…well, dead.

"I have a few important questions for you," Apollo tells him. "I want you to answer them honestly so we can tell if you're going to die heinously or not," I shoot him a look, and he clears his throat. "But there's an 89% chance you won't die at all!" he says optimistically.

"Okay, first question…what happened before you lost consciousness?"

"I-I don't remember. It's all a blur."

Apollo scribbles down a couple notes and continues. "What's your name?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm Nico di Angelo, lord of all that is awesome." A big grin is plastered on his face, and it's obvious he's feeling better.

"Where are you right now?"

"Judging by what I can remember, which is that I was 'reaped' for the Half-Blood Games, I'm guessing I'm in Hell."

Haymitch laughs and smacks him on the back. Nico winces but shrugs off the pain as he continues to smile.

"Nico," Apollo suddenly seems serious for once. "You can't kid around when answering these questions. If you weren't laughing then I'd think your actual answer was 'Hell'. I need to find out if your condition is critical."

"Fine."

We quickly find that the more questions he answers, the more he spaces out. It's like he's in his own little world. Apollo succeeds in getting his concentration for a minute or two then Nico is dazing off again. Apollo gives up and starts going over his notes.

Haymitch starts to play Temple Run on his Iphone while I sit in silence. Nico is staring at the wall behind Apollo, as still as a statue.

The sun god looks up from his notes. "Nico, we're going to go down to the infirmary later to get you a CAT scan."

He snaps back to reality and looks at Apollo. "Why?"

"Because you may have a mild concussion."

"Concussion? Isn't that an instrument?" Nico asks me.

I'm about to tell him that's _percussion_, but Apollo continues to talk.

"Your demigod powers have helped you greatly, shorting your time of unconsciousness. You do have some of the symptoms though: slight amnesia, vomiting, shaky, dizzy, headaches, confusion—"

"I am not confused! I was just asking!" Nico screams.

"Okay Mr. Diva. No need to get so angry." He starts to mutter to himself. "Cross 'confusing' out, and add 'easily upset' and 'mood swings'…"

"Hey, I just got a message from Zeus. Turn on the television." Haymitch tells us.

I do as he says and Nico immediately plugs his ears.

"Gods, it's kind of loud."

I raise my eyebrows. "It's only at twenty. If it goes down any lower than we won't be able to hear it."

"Getting bothered by noises…" Apollo says to himself as he writes on his clipboard.

Nico sighs in frustration. "Please, shut up with the symptoms!" He throws the blue blanket over his head. I can't see any of him anymore, it's like he transformed into a big blue lump.

"The scores are in!" Apollo puts his clipboard away and leans forward. "I can't wait to see what your scores are!"

The name Gavin Clear spirals across the screen. His picture comes up and it shows his score: a ten.

The highest is a thirteen, so that's pretty good.

Next is Katsumi. Her name spirals also, and she scores an eight.

One by one, more scores come up. Liam Leverett: 7. Claire Widner: 5. James Casper: 13. Marceline Fowler: 3.

I see that Nadia scores a 7 and I can't help but cheer her on in my head.

Most of their pictures show them with blank expression or half-smiling. There are a few though, like Mary Rockwell, that just screams determined. She is clenching her fists in her photo, with an evil smile and a hint of violence deep in her eyes.

I'm so anxious that I'm tapping my foot on the carpet. Haymitch gives me a look as my name appears on the screen. My picture fades in as the screen switches to my score.

I get a nine.

Haymitch and Apollo are cheering and fist-bumping each other as I stay in place.

Okay, so maybe I was expecting a thirteen. I did get super-frustrated with them and definitely got their attention, but how did the other kids do better than me? At least I didn't get a three.

Wouldn't a giant Venus fly trap catch your attention pretty quick? I'd be out of my seat and running for the nearest exit in a heartbeat if I was one of the Olympians. Yet they only were terrified of their food getting eaten by a plant. I would've scored myself a thirteen on my performance. It was pretty freaking horrifying.

I tell myself it's no big deal, and nine is still a good score.

Nico's name appears last along with his picture. He's frowning in the picture, and has an annoyed look in his eyes.

"Nico, do you want to know your score?" I ask him.

He may have replied with something like, "No, leave me alone, Plant-Girl," but I wouldn't have heard him. His voice is too quiet most of the time and when someone's under a blanket it gets even quieter.

My anticipation is practically making me shake as his score fades onto the screen.

Twelve.

That's what flashes onto the screen.

I jump out of my chair and scream, "You did it! You almost got a perfect score! Awesome!"

Apollo shouts, "WOO-HOO!" and Haymitch smiles at the screen.

"Looks like you did it, little dude." Haymitch congratulates Nico. Nico, still under the blanket, doesn't reply. "What did you do anyway?"

He muffles something I can't understand, so I yank the blanket off of him.

Nico glares at me and says, "I shadow-traveled behind them and said "Boo!" and it scared the crap out of them. Then I fell off a balcony. Then end."

"That was a stupid story." I commented.

"I was laughing so hard I fell off the balcony and landed on the floor."

"Where else would you land, smart one?"

"Oh, I don't know, China? I have ended up there before."

Before I can retaliate, Apollo says we worked hard to earn those scores and suggests we get some sleep.

"I'll see you bright and early in the morning, Nico!" Apollo calls as he exits the room.

Nico looks at me. "Bright? Early? What kind of sorcery is that?"

"It's not sorcery; those words just aren't in your vocabulary." I point out.

"Those kinds of words wouldn't fit in my dictionary of awesomeness."

**A/N: Your reviews have really inspired me to write, and this time it didn't take a month! Yayy! This was a really long chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it. This chapter is 2,771 words, including each and every word in bold letters.**


	11. Preparing for Interviews

**A/N: I decided to update again! I checked my mail a while ago since I went out of town and got WAY more mail than I expected. I didn't think that anyone was going to review after a couple days, but I guess I was wrong.**

**Special shout-out to all who reviewed, you really made me happy.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Nico: People are cheering for me, I told you so!**

**Me: **Whatever, I'm going to start torturing characters like I did in my other story!

**Nico: Wait, what?**

**Me: **That's right! Some torturing strategies include: forcing Katie to watch live deforestation, me reading aloud the myth of Hades and the 'lovely' Persephone to Nico, and also forcing other characters to eat cereal as Demeter complains. Fun!

**Nico: WHAT? NO! I'll just do the disclaimer so you won't keep talking. Thank gods she doesn't own us PJO characters, or we would be beyond suffering by now. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Katie's POV:**

"Well, Nico doesn't have any brain damage so he can still compete in the Games." Apollo declares happily.

"WHAT?" Nico screams. "If I had brain damage, then I _wouldn't _have to compete?"

"Why, yes. At least I think so, or your dad would force us to keep you in anyway, probably to show how tough you are."

I almost start to laugh. "Tough? He can't even crack open a walnut if I don't help him!"

Nico stands up. His expression changed from shock to pure anger. "I can too! Sometimes I use the _innocent-but-lazy _method because I don't want to use my super-strength!"

"_Sure _you do," I reply.

Nico clenches his fists and stares at me. I'm still sitting down, pretending not to care. Apollo gently puts a hand on Nico's shoulder and Nico lowers into his seat, his eyes set on me.

We're in our own little room, preparing to get dressed in formal attire for the interviews. The walls are a deep shade of orange, and the furniture is light yellow. All of the areas to sit, barstools, the sofas, even chairs, are fluffy. I am so used to the fanciness of all the other rooms that I start to believe this is a room for a five-year-old. The fireplace is radiating warmth and beanbags were circling around it. The cabinets across the walls are filled with fragile antiques, like china plates and beautiful vases.

I would've loved the room, but my life is bringing me down at the moment. You know, the giant bloodbath that's going to happen within two days, the fact that I'm going to have to kill random kids for everyone's entertainment. Yeah, fun.

"Cinna will be here in a moment," Apollo says.

"I wish I knew what our clothes looked like." I say to nobody in particular.

"I know _my clothes _will be awesome. He probably thought you would look better in a dirty sack." Nico replies casually.

"Hey," my head shoots towards him. "What's with the sudden rude attitude?"

He rolls his eyes. "That rhymed Dr. freaking Seuss. You insulted me so I had the right to insult you."

"If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." The phrase has been etched into my brain every since I was a kid, but I never thought I would get to use it on anyone else but Travis.

"If your life is like a ditch," Nico starts to say. "Then don't be a-"

"Okay, you two, that's enough!" Haymitch orders.

"Yeah, Nico. That's _enough_." I snarl.

"Look who's talking, all-mighty-grower-of-weeds." Nico comments angrily.

"I said ENOUGH!" Haymitch says once again, but with more force.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Nico and I jump from our seats and race to answer it. I shove Nico out of the way and he hits the wall as I open the door politely.

"Oh, hi, Cinna!" I say happily.

I can hear Nico groan from the other side of the door, which I slammed into his face as he hit the wall.

Apollo comes up behind me and helps Nico up. "Be careful Katie, he's still healing!"

Nico fakes an innocent look and frowns as he rubs his forehead. "I just wanted to say hi to Cinna," he pouts. "But instead I said hi to the wall…"

Cinna ruffles his hair. "Don't worry, kiddo. You can say hi to me again when the interviews are over. Now, can you guys help me pull in the rack of clothes I brought?"

"Wow, Katie! You look dazzling!" Cinna presses a button on the remote he's holding and my dress starts to shimmer, literally.

"Whoa! How did you get it to do this? It looks so real!" I twirl around happily.

"It _is _real, my dear. I asked Zeus for some stardust from his realm, the sky. And sure enough he got me some."

I stop twirling for a minute. "That's not really like him…"

"Well maybe he feels bad that you have to fight to the death," Cinna says.

"Maybe..."

"Cinna!" Nico whines. I can tell by the mischievous gleam in his eyes that I'm going to get into trouble. "Katie was being mean to me before, even though I fell off a balcony. She insulted an injured person!"

I roll my eyes. "First of all, you aren't injured. You didn't break anything! Except maybe your brain, but that was already broken before, so no harm done."

"You see!" He points towards me accusingly. "She was my friend a couple days ago but now she's being rude!" Nico turns to me and says, "if you're going to be two-faced, at least make one of them pretty."

I scowl and smack him upside the head. He growls for some reason, almost like a dog, and walks out of the room.

We try on tons more outfits. Each of the dresses Cinna made for me is unique. They all resemble either my mother, Demeter, or Camp Half-Blood. One sparkles like diamonds and has a faint pattern of fall leaves. Another glows dimly and resembles the fire at camp, Greek fire. My personal favorite is a flowing dress that has lace that twists down my arms like vines.

Nico doesn't really like the idea of trying things on. He argues that it's much easier to throw something on and go. No wonder his hair is always a mess. He goes through at least three suits before he finds one he likes: a black tuxedo with a skull tie and a ghostly shimmer to it. If you had him and Hades stand right next to each other, you would think Nico is just a younger version of the death god. Of course, I suppose he already _is _a younger version since he is his son…

Finally, after what seems like hours of posing in different sets of clothes, Nico and I stand side-by-side. Cinna steps back and holds out his hands like he's getting us ready for a picture.

"Perfect," he murmurs.

Nico stares down at his formal attire. "Wow, I look like I'm 15."

_Too bad you act like you're nine, _I think. Chiron would be so pleased that I'm thinking before I act. Although some thoughts should be said, he tells me that at times it's best to ignore the Stolls instead of retorting with another insult.

Haymitch doesn't look up from his Iphone. "You're going to be the stars of the show."

Cinna starts to write down notes on his clipboard.

"Um, Haymitch? What are you playing?" I ask.

"Draw Something. What else would I be playing, Temple Run? That gets boring. Hey, what is this a picture of?" He holds out his Iphone to me. "It looks like it could be a squirrel or a dead bird or—"

I raise my eyebrows. "It's a monkey, Haymitch,"

He punches in a few keys on his phone and stares at it for a moment. "Oh, yeah. It was a monkey. Thanks, kid."

For a minute, everyone is quiet except for Haymitch, who is cursing under his breath as he tries to figure out more drawings. We've only seen him play once but we all already know he's bad at guessing games.

"Why are you taking notes?" Nico asks Cinna.

"So I can have measurements for when you win this thing." Cinna smiles at us.

"Uh, I don't mean to let you down, but there's a slim chance—" I don't get a chance to finish what I'm saying.

"Katie," His tone turns serious. "There's a bigger chance than you think. It won't be an indoors arena, like for chariot races. It'll most likely be to your advantage, since you can control plants. Almost every type of environment has plants."

"What about me?" Nico cuts in, clearly disliking that he's not in the conversation.

"You have powerful skills too, like raising the dead. But time it well so you won't become tired. If you pass out in the arena…you become an easy target."

Nico's eyes widen. "Will we even be able to sleep without being killed?"

Haymitch looks up from his game. "Yes, you can always climb a high tree and sleep in the branches. Make sure you're covered by leaves though. I use to tie myself to the trunk just in case I turned over and fell."

I take in everything he says and make mental notes in my head. The more knowledge, the better.

"Why are you almost always on your Iphone?" Nico says to Haymitch.

"And why do you need to ask so many stupid questions?" he rolls his eyes. "Well, since I can't drink because people are forcing me to actually _do _my job," He glares at me. "The next best thing is Iphone apps. They have the same level of addiction."

Octavia comes in and talks to Cinna for a moment, but leaves as quickly as she comes.

"It's time for the interviews," Cinna announces.

_Oh gods…_ All of the sudden, my brain comes up with tons of ways I can screw up the interviews. Say the wrong thing, trip onstage, stutter and have everyone laugh at me, the possibilities are endless.

We get up and take the elevator to the main stage, where all kinds of immortal people are watching. Muses, nymphs, gods, goddesses, and even some demigods are watching in the crowd.

As we line up back stage, Cinna and Haymitch wish us the best of luck.

"Oh, and Katie?" Haymitch pulls me away from the line of demigods for a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Chiron sent me a message last night. He says, 'Think of what Travis would say'. I don't exactly know who Travis is, but just do as he said. Okay, strut out there, be a superstar, all that crap." He shoves me back towards the line and I dwell on everything he just said. Except for the 'strutting and being a superstar' advice.

Chiron must've known I would be nervous. Unlike me, Travis can charm anybody with his words. If he were here, he would win everyone over with his witty comebacks and responses. Me? I'm probably going to freeze up there. _That's why I have to think like him…_

One by one, the demigods go up. It seems like they all have one trait. The son of Loki is mischievous; Katsumi is kind; Nadia is confident. They all make a good impression on the crowd.

It's not long before they call Nico's name.

"Good luck!" I call to him and he slowly walks onto the steps.

**A/N: I'm glad I'm updating faster than usual. Well, at least I am on this story. The more reviews I see, the more I think people will care. So I update more. Sorry, for all you "How I Survived Being Five' fans, but that's how my mind works. **

**Anyway, if you need a good song to listen to, look up 'One More Time with Feeling' by Regina Spektor. It kind of reminds me of Nico in the Battle of the Labyrinth when he's all hateful and not-himself, up until he's praised after the war. It's a good song. I also like 'All the Rowboats' by the same artist. **

**Leave a review and I'll give you an invisible cookie! Chocolate? Peanut butter? Maybe even sprinkle! :3 I love sprinkles… (Sorry, I'm sort of hyper) Oh, and check out awesomegirl13 and percabethforever98. They have amazing stories and I highly recommend reading them. Bye!**


	12. Nico's Interview

**A/N: Hi! I suck at updating, right? Well, I'm completely lost on "How I Survived Being Five" so that's on hiatus for a while until I actually have some time to reread it, gather up my thoughts, and sort through my ideas. Sorry for not updating!**

**Don't own.**

**Nico POV:**

Stepping up on stage, I start to breathe faster. Everything I pass is like a blur. I clench my fists and blink a couple times. I'm squeezing my fingers so tight that the bones on my hands are practically popping out of my skin. Yet I'm still shaking.

_Holy crap, _I think. I'm already on stage. People are staring at me, muttering incoherent things to each other. Apollo is sitting in a chair. It looks like a half-circle with the middle carved out. There's another right next to him.

I sit down politely and smile forcefully. I'm so nervous, but everyone thinks I'm calm. Wow, I _am _good at hiding my emotions.

"Hello, Nico. How are you?"

I hesitate. Was he talking to me? _No dip, Sherlock! You ARE Nico_! My mind is full of scrambled thoughts and worries. I push them aside for a moment to respond,"Oh, um, fine."

Apollo raises his eyebrows. "Just fine? What about _great_?"

"I would be _great_, but I'm about to fight to the death, so for the moment it's just 'fine'."

The crowd laughs. For a moment, I feel relived and smile a real smile. But my worries must've decided that I'm not allowed to feel relaxed and flood into my head again. I'm shaking all over once more.

"So what's impressed you the most since you've arrived here?" Apollo asks.

"Nothing, really. I've been a couple of times since I, oh you know, saved the world from mass destruction."

The crowd claps, as if realizing, _Oh! He's the kid who did that? Wow! _and Apollo chuckles.

"Don't get too full of yourself, kid."

"Yeah!" someone from the crowd shouts. "At least not as confident as Apollo is!"

Everyone laughs once more. I start to, but realize Apollo is looking at me.

"Anyway," Apollo shoots a look towards the audience. "That boy who screamed out at the Reapings…"

I know exactly who he's talking about. I try not to scowl. If Apollo was going to talk about him, he could _at least _use his name.

It's as if my bones turned to ice. A chill slides down my spine as I replay the Reapings in my head. I don't realize I'm just staring at the crowd with an emotionless face until Apollo says, "Hello? Anybody home? Gonna answer my question anytime soon?"

"Sorry, nobody's home," I respond almost automatically. I laugh as I rethink what I just said. _I'm an idiot. _

Surprising, people joined with me. It didn't sound like they were laughing _at _me, (I already knew what _that _sounded like) but with me.

"Percy's really nice," I start to say, but Apollo cuts me off.

"Perseus Jackson! A wondrous boy! I even wrote a poem about him!"

I groan and put my head in my hands, many people do the same. _Here we go…_

He clears his throat and begins. "Roses are red, Violets are blue, Percy is awesome, and so am I."

"That didn't rhyme," I point out.

"Poems don't have to rhyme." Apollo defends.

"But don't they have to be _good_?"

A big cloud of chuckles erupts from the audience. Apollo laughs to, but I'm sure he's only doing it to agree with the audience.

"You're just as bad as Artemis!" He says. "Don't be hatin' on my poetry!"

I roll my eyes and finish, "Like I said, Percy's a nice guy. He would've given his life for me if he was able to volunteer. I'm glad they didn't let him though…"

"Why? You would have to be going through all this."

I sigh. _Oh, gods, Percy is going to kill me for this. _"It's just…." I have to say it. It's been on my mind for so long. Too long. "He has something to live for. A family, friends, a home. I'm stuck with Hades, Cerberus, and the Underworld. Sure, Camp Half-Blood is _like _a home, and I stay there a lot, but it isn't the same."

I could've sworn Apollo had tears in his eyes. "I want to be able to walk through the door and have my mom cooking dinner, a big brother to hug me and ask me about my day, a dog that would jump on me and lick my face. I can't even have that. Admit it, if it was between me and Percy, and one of us had to die, I would be missed the least. I'm…an outcast."

The audience goes _aww _as Apollo rubs his eyes dramatically. "I'm not crying, I swear!"

I smile sadly. Apollo can always find a way to cheer people up.

"But Nico, your dad is one of us now. He's been treated like an Olympian ever since the war." Apollo looks at me with concern.

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop people from making weird faces when I walk by. Some demigods are terrified of me, when they have no reason to. It's like I'm invisible. I've been invisible my whole life."

Shouts from the crowd cheer me up a little. I can make out someone say, "You'll win this thing!" another screams, "Nico, I love you!" Yeah, I'm slightly creepped out by that one.

Apollo checks his watch. "It looks like it's time for a special performance so let's say goodbye to our dear Greek friend Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades, god of the Underworld!"

Apollo and I walk off stage, still waving to the audience. But before I can go talk to Haymitch, Apollo pulls me aside.

"Did you…really mean that?"

For once, Apollo is being serious. His eyes show his concern instead of being full of joy.

"Uh-huh. I still feel that way too."

He kneels so that he's at my eye level. "Nico, we gods don't understand demigods that well. We can't tell your emotions, even though we're all-powerful. I'm sorry about everything. You're one of the bravest kids I've ever seen."

I smile. "Thank you."

He stands up and walks me to Haymitch.

"You know," he starts to rant, "When I say you at that school, I just _knew _you'd grow up to be a champion! I had a good feeling about you when you entered my bus'o'awesomeness and started jumping on the seats. It's okay to be a kid, like you were back then at times, okay?"

Haymitch waves me over. I stop and turn to Apollo and say one last thing. "Katie told me that's not proper manners."

We both can't help but smile. He's still smiling as he turns and walks back towards the stage.

Haymitch pats me on the back. "Nice sob-story, kid. You're sure to be a favorite now. But we still have to work on Miss Boss-A-Lot here…"

"Hey! That's not funny, you know!"


	13. Katie's Interview

**A/N: I sense some people were anxiously awaiting the next chapter? Yeah, I'm not dead! I've just been really active on deviantart. Anyways, I really missed writing. Please write reviews if I take too long saying: "Update woman! Or I'll come to your house and (your choice of punishment here)" For some reason that inspires me.**

**Disclaimer: On my profile page.**

**Katie's POV:**

The spotlight is almost blinding me. I can hear the crowd murmuring amongst themselves. Apollo clears his throat and all eyes stay on him.

"So can you tell me how you felt when you were reaped?"

I think for a moment before responding, "Well, I had mixed emotions. I was happy that it wasn't one of my friends, nervous because it was me…." I trailed off for a moment and replayed the whole scene in my head. "I-I honestly think I wanted to run off the stage and go far away. To hide and never have to compete."

Apollo nods as if understanding my feelings. "We would've found you rather quickly since we're the Immortal gods of Olympus."

"I'm aware. That's why."

There is a brief silence. Not even the crowd speaks. Of course, Apollo never likes silence, so he asks another question.

"Are you thinking of teaming up or going solo?"

"I'm going to team up. I won't announce who I'll be collaborating with though."

"Ah, keeping it a secret, are you?" Apollo raises his eyebrows. "Well, you're a beautiful girl. I can see that you're brave and determined. Got a boyfriend back home?"

I can feel my cheeks getting hotter. I know that the crowd can tell by their reaction. They say, "ooooohh!" like the Aphrodite girls back at Camp Half-Blood.

Apollo leans closer. "So there _is _someone special?"

"Yeah, his name is Travis," I admit.

"Son of Hermes? I think everyone here has heard of him!"

I start to laugh, but stop. "I miss him like crazy. Though I don't wish he was here so he wouldn't have to go through this."

The crowd "awwws" and Apollo sighs. "Young love. I remember my first girlfriend. And my second. And my third…"

He asks more and more questions and I answer each one honestly. Before I know it, the interview is done and I walk off stage.

We all take the elevator back up and I notice Haymitch scowling. We haven't talked since Nico's interview. I decide it's best to find out what's wrong.

"What?" I say.

"You didn't listen to me," he replies.

I'm confused for a moment and he continues.

"You didn't respond like the Travis kid would've."

I scowl. "Well _sorry_ for being myself!"

Haymitch rolls his eyes and retaliates. "Lately, 'yourself' has been rude and whiny! You're not thinking about how other people may feel! It's all about you and your attitude."

"I have _not _been like that! At least I think before falling off of a balcony!"

"Hey!" Nico says, "Don't even start complaining about me!"

I ignore Nico's outburst. "How would you feel if you were forced to kill? I'm in a bad mood from _all _of this, thank you very much!"

The elevator door dings.

"So you have to put everyone else in a bad mood?" Haymitch counters. "Some role model you must be at camp…"

He steps off the elevator, slams the door to his room, and Nico and I do the same.

**A/N: WHAT KIND OF FREAKING CHAPTER IS ONLY 600 WORDS? This time I posted two chapters, this was just to lead up to the next ****longer ****chapter that's 2000 words.**

** You must want to punch me. But don't be sad. Click the next chapter button or review.**


	14. A Dream and the Games Begin

**A/N: So you followed the instructions from last chapter's bottom Authors Note. Congrats. Now onto the story!**

**Katie's POV:**

Well, none of us had dinner together. Fan-freaking-tastic. Thanks to our abilities to hold grudges, this is exactly how my dinner went:

I scrambled to the kitchen, gathered as much food as a tray could hold, and rushed back to my room before anyone saw me. If Haymitch or Nico would have been there…who knows what would've happened. As I ate I stared at a wall. I stared at a blank **wall**.

I swear, it was like I was in a trance. I guess thinking about something too hard can make you….what's the word? Let loose the grip on reality? I immediately think: _Oh, Annabeth. Her and her fancy sayings_. But I guess it's kind of true.

I was thinking about the fight in the elevator with Haymitch and Nico. And the whole time I had a feeling. You know that feeling when you know you need to apologize, but you don't want to. I feel like if I apologize, they'll win. I've always been like this. I try to persuade myself deep down that I'm right.

But this time I couldn't.

It's been two hours since dinner. For some reason, it's completely quiet throughout the hall. Usually, someone will be watching television or chatting in the dining room. Not this time.

But the best part of all of this is that I'll probably never speak to Haymitch again. Tomorrow's the start of the Games. _Yay._

I finally force myself to get up and take a look in the mirror. My father always told me to do it as a kid whenever I got into an argument. Too many questions went through my mind: Have I really been rude and whiny? Did I take it too far this time? Will those two even forgive me?

Nico probably wouldn't forgive me. For Hades' sake, he's most likely going to try to kill me in that Arena. And he's got Marceline on his side. Great…

I slam my hands against the mirror and rest my head on it. "I'm so screwed," I mutter to myself.

Eventually, I hear my breathing getting slower. My eyes get heavier and heavier. I barely make it to bed before I fall asleep.

"Do you hear me? Katie-kat, can you hear me? Hey! Plantasaurus! Of course, she won't even wake up."

"Dude, this isn't some fairy tale. Your 'princess' isn't gonna wake up from deep slumber."

"Oh, yeah? Watch this…"

I scream and bolt up as I get completely drenched in water. I shake my head a few times to drain the liquid from my hair and start panting. _It must've been a nightmare…_

I keep my eyes shut since I taste the salt from the water. I've had some bad experiences with salt water in my eyes. _Wait…there's no ocean anywhere near this place. _

Pushing that thought from my head, I try to find the blanket so I could pull it over my head and go back to sleep.

Too bad the blanket was gone.

I quickly open my eyes to see two of the most annoying boys in the world right in front of me, kneeling down and smiling. I can't help but scream in shock.

"Ha ha, see? I told you!" Travis exclaims happily.

"What are you two doing here?" I ask angrily.

The Stolls exchange looks before Connor explains.

"So…we saw your interview…" he says awkwardly.

"And?"

"You sucked," they both reply in unison.

Coming from anyone else, I would've felt horrible. But from the Stolls it was different. They were constantly making fun of me. Even if Travis is my boyfriend, we still act like best friends. We constantly try to make fun of each other, but we'll always have each other's back.

I lean forward. "Like you could do any better at an interview!"

Connor says, "If you would've taken Haymitch's advice—"

I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. "Off topic. So how am I talking to you? Did I finally lose my marbles?"

"You have marbles?" Travis asks excitedly. "Can I borrow them? I have a collection!"

Sarcasm or not, I still smacked him across the face. He rubs his cheek but I can tell from his expression that it didn't hurt.

"We found a communicator thingy-majiggy in the Big House," Connor says. "And we figured out how to work it pretty quick. It takes you into peoples' dreams! So we went into Percy's dream where he was making out with Annabeth then scared Clarisse and—"

I sigh loudly. Connor knows by the signal that he is off topic. Again.

He clears his throat and continues. "So then Travis wanted to visit your dream because he loves you so much and longs for you to be back with him! He wants to ride off into the sunset with you where he-"

Travis glares at him. I don't know what Connor was about to say, but he got punched by his brother.

"Ow! Anyway, we found you asleep in your dream! And here we are…" Connor gestured to the scenery behind him.

I immediately recognize the forest where we play Capture the Flag. I can see some of the bark ripped from a couple trees, which were from Clarisse's anger issues. Small clothes were tied around trees that marked the out-of-bounds area. I can't help but smile.

"See? She's happy to see me." Travis whispers to Connor.

"I'm not smiling because of you!" I protested. _Okay, so maybe I was smiling a little bit because he was here…_ "But the forest. I don't think I've even realized it was this beautiful at night."

"Ugh, women," he mutters.

The stars are shining brightly and contrast to the midnight sky. There's only a slight wind, but I still shiver since I'm only wearing pajamas. My heartbeat is finally at a steady rate because of the whole waking-up-to-water surprise.

It's peaceful, though I know it won't last.

"Camp's a mess," Connor blurts out. He isn't using his 'joking tone' either. I know he's completely serious.

"Really?"

"Yeah," He stares into the woods. "Your friends have been really depressed. So have your half-siblings.

"The plants are dying all around camp. Nobody is taking care of them. The only thing we do is stay in our cabins or go to class. No one plays volleyball anymore. Sometimes campers don't even go to dinner. Hell, sometimes _Travis _doesn't go to dinner. We really miss you, Katie."

"Nico too?"

"Oh, gods. Don't even get me started on how much people miss Nico. The girls from the Aphrodite cabin? Yeah, they made _signs_. They hold them up in front of the tv whenever Nico comes on," Connor laughs. "I'm not sure they know he can't see through the tv."

"Who does everyone miss more: Nico or me?"

Travis sighs. "Katie, don't start that. You know everyone at camp misses both of you," He looks like he's telling the truth. For once, I see the sorrow in his eyes.

I feel guilty all of the sudden. Stupid Hermes' kids. They can persuade anyone with their words. I hate it when Travis uses it against me.

"Okay. Sorry I brought it up," I apologize.

Travis puts a hand on my shoulder. "Just stop comparing yourself. Please? For me?" he smiles and slightly tilts his head. Connor does the same.

I roll my eyes. "Fine. And are you going to be cheering me on?"

"We'll make sure to be the loudest," they both promise.

I laugh and hug them. "You two should probably get going before you land yourself in some trouble."

"Pshh. We do that every single freaking day." Connor replies.

"Whatever. Now leave so I can wake up."

Connor nods and proceeds to leave but Travis hesitates. He stares at me for a moment and says, "I love you. Beat the crap out of those guys for me."

I jolt out of bed and quickly put on some clothes. _I'm going to be late again! _I rush and brush my teeth and hair, then dash down the hallway.

I look down and curse. "I'm still in my slippers."

I know I'll get a whole new outfit so I keep running.

Cinna is waiting for me at the elevator. "Come on, you slept in late. Nico's already getting ready!"

The elevator goes lower than it's supposed to.

"Um, Cinna? Where are we going?" I ask.

"Underground. We'll be below the arena until it's time."

After the elevator ride, we enter a long hallway. I mean, a really long hallway. I'm sure the guards must walk this twice a day to get as buff as they are. We step into a plain room. It's not fancy or decorative like the others. There's only stone walls and some basic needs for preparation. A nurse comes in and places a "tracker" in my arm. Good to know they'll always be watching me.

Cinna decides to put my hair in a simple ponytail, the way I've always had it. He dresses me in a uniform similar to the one I wore in the Training Center. I have polished black boots and skintight socks so I'm ready for any biome. He puts my slippers on the table.

"These will be waiting for you when you get back," he smiles. "Remember to find water and make shelter. And anything can be used as a weapon."

I nod. "Okay. But I don't know if—""

Cinna and I both look up to the sound of a crackling voice. "Step on the metal plate and get ready to begin, tributes."

I feel as if my hands have turned to ice. Shivers run down my back and my breathing gets faster. _This is it…_

Cinna lays a comforting hand on my back and nudges me toward the plate. Immediately, I turn from his grasp and run.

_I can't do this, _a panicked voice screams in my head as I dash for the iron door. _I'm not going to die here._

I hear Cinna yelling at me to stop and that everything is going to be okay, but even he knows it's a lie.

I slam into the door and fortunately, it opens. I sped up as I run down the hallway and alarms start to blare. It's so loud that my ears are practically burning.

I realize two guards are chasing me. I still keep going.

This hallway seems so endless. So many twists and turns that it makes me dizzy.

My body can't keep running forever. I lean against the wall for a second to let the guards catch up a bit then continue to run.

But I knew I wouldn't escape.

I finally found a closed door, the one that I had originally came through to get here. I almost reach it before it opens and three guards pin me down.

I scream and kick as the drag me back down through the hallway "Let me go! I can't do this! Please!"

One guard is muttering into a walkie-talkie as he follows. Within seconds I end up right where I started. They get closer to the clear tube that leads to the arena. I still kick in protest, but the toss me in and close it shut.

"10, 9,"

I turn to see Cinna behind the guards. I pound on the tube and scream for him.

"8, 7, 6,"

The metal plate starts to rise and I get lifted into the arena.

"5, 4,"

Once I'm in, all the tributes are staring at me as I try to break out of the tube. I realize that I'm in a tundra. I give up trying to run and look around.

"3,"

The cornucopia is in the middle of all of us, loaded with the items we need for survival.

"2,"

I can't find Nico anywhere. He's got to be somewhere…did he escape?

"1," The announcer says. "Let the Half-Blood games begin!"

**A/N: Please inspire me with your reviews. Hopefully I'll start to update more since the action has started. **

**If you're on a lot and want to beta this story (that means pre-viewing each chapter!) then PM me. Thanks for reading this chapter!**


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